Why?
by batbaby
Summary: What happens when Peeta and Katniss get back from the Victory Tour and Gale gets drunk and jealous? Set right before the Quarter Quell. Violence, sex, Karma.
1. Chapter 1

A/N - To all you Gale fans out there, sorry, he is not a nice guy in this one. As always, I own nothing to Hunger Games. Thank you Suzanne Collins for such wonderful characters!

KPOV

It's been a month since the Victory tour has ended and Peeta and I are just settling into our new routines. I hunt, he bakes, and then I go to his house most nights since I still live with Mother and Prim while his family chose to stay in town. Mother gave us her opinion about us being together and not being married, but she also sees how much happier I am when I'm with him, so she has kept quiet since. Prim on the other hand couldn't be happier for us. Peeta's mother gave me dirty looks, while his brothers and father practically congratulated him for finally getting me to fall in love with him. Even Greasy Sae was happy for us. Gale though, he just kind of grunted and said, "Figures."

We hadn't talked since I got home, but I got a message from him through his mother, Hazel, that he wanted to meet me Sunday morning at our old hunting spot. It was only Thursday when she gave it to me, so I had plenty of time to try and figure out what he would want now. I had bigger things on my mind though.

In two weeks, we would be finding out what the twist of the Quarter Quell was; something I'm not at all excited for. We would also be the mentors this year and Haymitch says we'll have the advantage being so young and the last set of winners. I figure I'll teach them as much as I can with regards to hunting, they'll need to eat and Peeta is debating teaching camouflage. You can't teach someone to be strong though and we both know that if someone from the Seam gets chosen, we have a lot to work on. Haymitch told us it's not our job to teach, but to make sure they stay alive. To us, teaching and learning is living. Haymitch was just glad his time of mentoring was finally over and he could focus on what he knew best: drinking.

KPOV

Saturday morning came around and when I roll over, Peeta is wide awake, watching me, again. I smile and he leans in for a kiss. It starts out being very soft, but when I grab his hair to bring him closer to me, he groans and I hear him say "Damn" against my lips. I love when we have morning sex. He is already hard and even though we had fun last night and I am a little sore, I am also completely ready for more.

I push him onto his back and he gladly rolls over, pulling me on top of him. My hair falls over my shoulders; he never lets it in stay in the braid I come to bed with. I can feel how hot he is through the thin boxers he's wearing and he no doubt can feel how wet I already am for him, given that I am only wearing his pajama shirt. I rub myself over him and he groans, jerking involuntarily towards me. I bend down and give him a deep kiss while his hands try to work my top off. I lift my arms and he slides it off and then I stand up above him while he wiggles out of his shorts.

Standing above him, I look over his body and take a deep breath. He is so gorgeous. Blond hair that is getting a little long and curling, lips perfectly full and pink, arms strong and rippled with muscles, a nice tight tummy with a trail of darker blond hair leading to that part of him that makes my mouth water. Even his good leg, long and muscular, while the thigh of his other one has stayed the same. He tries not to wear his prosthetic to bed, it ended up annoying him. Then I looked back up into his eyes, those beautiful blue eyes that made me want to climb into his arms every time I saw him.

He runs his hands up my legs, pulling himself up in the process. Almost teasingly soft, he places a kiss on my throbbing center. I drop back down into his lap and slid him into me, not wasting any time. I more or less bounce on his lap, finding a rhythm quickly and holding onto his shoulders for support. Peeta has his hands on my waist, going with the same pace, but I could tell this position wouldn't last long. Even when I start out on top, he always manages to get his way and now he was flipping me over and thrusting into me with heated passion. I would probably have bruises on my hip bones from this and last night.

I put my hands into his hair and pull it gently, moving his head so that I could kiss his neck. I knew where his sensitive spot is and when I begin to lick and nibble just below his earlobe, he moans and starts going faster. He turns his head and starts kissing me hard, his tongue darting in and finding mine. I wrap my legs around his waist and when he starts to slow down but push harder, I know he is almost there. I move my hips just right so that his member can hit a certain spot within me and feel my fire being lit. I hold my breath and feel him explode inside of me, just as I come too, letting the air out of my mouth like a balloon. He collapses on top of me, his weight welcome as I run my fingers over his back as his breathing returns to normal.

He gives me a peck on the cheek and says, "Well, good morning."

I laugh and return, "Good morning to you."

Peeta rolls himself off of me and sits up on the edge of the bed. Grabbing the railing on his wall and pulling himself up, his butt so firm and perfectly round I can't resist reaching over and pinching it. His blond head whips around and he says, "Hey now! Be a good girl and help me into the shower."

I pout, but do as he says. When I swing my legs over the bed, I feel how sore I am between them and wince. He notices this and frowns, "Sorry. Little too eager last night?"

I just look at him and smile, "That's what I get for letting you make chocolate and pomegranate muffins, huh?"

"Yeah, we'll go with that." He answers with a wink. I walk over to him and put my arm around his waist, his arm going over my shoulder and help him into the bathroom. I like that he lets me help with this part of his routine. At first he was weird about it, but when I explained to him that I felt it was my fault that he had it, he let it go. Of course he argued that if I hadn't done the tourniquet on him, he would have died.

"So, baking anything special today?" I ask him as I get the shower on and he climbs in, getting my toothbrush ready. I hear him under the water and wait for his answer.

"Ummm, not really, unless you want something special. I could make a savory quiche; we haven't had that in awhile." I hear the water splash again and rinse my mouth before I get into the shower behind him. His body is quite perfect and I am lucky to have such a wonderful man be in love with me.

I start to lather up my hands with soap and wash his back for him until its mine turn to wash my hair. "No, quiche sounds good. Could you make those croissants too? The ones with the spices?"

"Of course, love. I think it'll be hot enough to make some sun tea too." Peeta knows this is one of my favorite drinks and that I love when it gets hot enough to make it.

We finish washing each other and get out, drying each other's back when needed. I walk out into the bedroom, as I have moved a lot of my new wardrobe into one of his closets. When I hear him come out into the bedroom, I watch as he puts on his prosthetic. It takes him all of two minutes now. He catches me watching him, but I don't care. He smiles and gets up to come get some clothes.

"What are you going to do today?" He asks me, reaching just past my head for a shirt. As I'm pulling on a pair of shorts and tank top, I answer,

"Prim wants to go over all the sketches Cinna has sent of my new _talent_." I say the last word with a roll of my eyes and sarcasm. "She thinks if I actually tried I'd be good at it. But I don't care enough about it to even want to try."

Peeta nods his head and sits down on the bed to pull some socks and boots on. "I know, I mean, look what happened when I tried to get you to paint that one time."

I laugh, thinking about a few weeks ago when he had me try to paint a picture of a flower. Just a flower and I had no natural ability for it. How he can paint the most beautiful paintings, I'll never know, but I won't ever take it for granted. I will never take Peeta for granted again either.

"I told you what I'm doing tomorrow, right?" I ask him.

"Yeah, you've told me about five times already. Meeting up with Gale. Are you feeling weird about it or something, because it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would?" He admits, getting up and heading towards the door. I follow him downstairs and into the kitchen.

"You mean, it would have bothered you?" I ask, getting two glasses out and filling them with apple juice. He takes out all of the ingredients for pancakes. I take out a bowl of strawberries and start to cut them in half.

"Yeah, it would have before. But I'm okay with it now because you chose me." This is something he has never mentioned before. "I guess since I always saw you with him, knew that you hunted with him, I figured you'd always choose him. But you didn't."

He turns to me, a smile on his handsome face. I think that he knew Gale meant little more than being a brother to me long before he would ever admit it. He knows that we were best friends, but since the Games, Peeta has now effectively taken over that role and so much more. I'm secretly glad that we were reaped; otherwise I would have never known the love and devotion I know now.

"So, you didn't answer, do you feel weird about seeing him?" He asks while he pours the mixture into the frying pan.

I shrug my shoulders, "Kind of. I mean, he hasn't talked to me since we got back and all he said then was, 'it figures.'"

"What figures? Us?" He doesn't turn around, keeps making breakfast.

"Yeah. I didn't think he'd be happy about it but at least be, I don't know, not so, I don't know…." Peeta turns around at my hesitation. "Not be so angry about it. I mean, I know I faked it at first and he thought when I came back that I somehow would be all his…"

"All his? Wait, oh, the kiss. He thought you two would end up together, right?" He nods to himself and returns to making a stack of pancakes. "I thought after the whipping you'd choose him then too."

"But I didn't. I just…after that first night when you came to my room and held me…I knew then." I watched Peeta's back and knew he was smiling, I don't know how, but I knew.

He turns to me again. "You knew that I still loved you?" His eyes are such a warm shade of blue.

"Well, yeah, hoped was more like it. But anyway, something does feel weird about him wanting to see me now. I don't know if it's because you and I practically live together or that fact that he hasn't wanted to talk to me. I just don't know why I feel odd about it." I answer, setting the table and getting syrup out. "Something in my gut, I guess."

"Well, your gut has gotten you very far, so if you feel that weird about it, then don't go." He says matter-of-factly. He sets the plate of pancakes down and we each take a couple and dig in.

After swallowing a mouthful of pancake, I tell him, "I'll go see what he wants and only stay for a couple of minutes. We're meeting early, so you and I will have the whole rest of the day together."

Peeta nods, his mouth full as well. He grabs a strawberry and pops it in his mouth. "Sounds like a plan."

We finish our breakfast and I clean the dishes before I leave to go spend time with Prim. I give him a deep kiss on the lips before I leave and he closes the door after me, shaking his head and smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

***WARNING***VIOLENCE***WARNING***UGLY SCENE AHEAD***WARNING***

SKIP IT IF YOU MUST***

A/N – I changed my story from its original content because someone couldn't handle a different side of Gale. Thanks to that someone for not understanding the word FICTION.

KPOV

Sunday morning arrives and I wake up before Peeta does. He made the quiche and croissants last night and knowing that there are a few croissants left, I grab two and head out to meet Gale. I decided to wear a skirt and light top, as I have no intention of staying long and will get on with my day with Peeta. It's early, but since summer is right around the corner, the sun is already up and warming the air. I love this time of year because the hunting is a little easier and everything is coming alive again.

By the time I reach the rock Gale and I always met up at, I see him sitting there already. How long he's been here, I have no idea. I come around and sit on the rock, but not as close to him as I used to.

"It's going to be getting hot soon." He says quietly. His voice sounds different, hoarse, maybe from not talking in awhile.

I nod my head and reply, "Yeah. Peeta's already making sun tea though."

"Don't talk about him to me." Gale snaps. I cringe away from him and decide to stand up. He finally looks at me, I notice his gray eyes are tinged red, and he asks, "Since when do you wear skirts?"

"Since I have so many and Peeta likes them." I answer, my own voice sounding somewhat hard.

He closes his eyes tightly, takes a deep breath, and when he opens them, repeats, "I said don't talk about him."

"You asked me a question, I answered. What did you want to talk to me about anyway?" I take a step back when he gets up. He doesn't look like the Gale I used to hang out with. He doesn't even seem like the one who got whipped and I stayed next to the whole night.

"Wanted to see how you were doing." He steps closer to me and I take another step away. Something isn't right and I don't like it. Has he been drinking? Haymitch's eyes look like that when he's had a rough night.

"Well, I'm fine. But since I can't talk about why I'm fine, then that's it, I guess?" I turn my body away from him; start to walk back towards the forest.

"Do you love him?" Gale's voice sounds rough and sad at the same time.

"Yes. Yes I do." Looking him straight in the eyes.

"Why? He doesn't know you like I do. I'm the one you should be with!" This time he does yell and he gets closer to me.

"And you don't know me the way he does. We almost died together, almost died trying to save each other…"

"So what? We were starving. We could have died too!" His face is distorted with anger.

"Not the same. No one was actually hunting you or me. Besides, I've only ever seen you as a friend, a big brother of sorts." That's what I finally decided to tell myself when Peeta and I started spending our nights together.

"Would a brother do this?" He grabs my arms and forces his lips on mine. I can taste the liquor on him now and I shut down. He never used to drink before. We would make fun of Haymitch when we saw him in the Hob, stumbling around, looking for his liquor. This is nothing like Peeta's kisses. Warm and soft and gentle. I push at him and he only wraps a hand in my hair, keeping his lips on mine. I start to hit him and open my mouth to yell. He takes this as an opportunity to slide his tongue in and I bite down on it.

He pulls away, hand over his mouth, and spits out a wad of blood. "What the hell?" His face is livid and before I know it, he slaps me with the back of his hand.

I'm knocked sideways and catch myself before I hit a tree head-on. Before I can even turn to him, he hits me again and yells, "It's me you should love! Not some guy from town! We're supposed to be together!"

I don't even reply; just send my arm in his direction. I hit him in the arm because I was too slow and he grabs me and pushes me against the tree. Holding one strong arm against my chest, pinning me, I hear his pants zipper open and feel my skirt being lifted roughly. This can't be happening; he can't be doing this to me. We've known each other for so long, why's he doing this?

"Have you two done it yet!" I look him in the eyes. Cold and angry and gray, I've never seen him like this. The man who was my best friend just seven months ago is now looking at me like I'm his game, but worse, so much worse. The fury in his eyes scare me and I flinch when he asks me again, "Have you two fucked?"

I nod my head and this only infuriates him more. He pushes me to the ground and I try to get up and run, but he kicks me from behind and I fall, sprawled out. He climbs on top of me. I try to think of anything else, try not to feel anything as Gale's weight is starting to suffocate me and I wish that I was dying so that this would end. I can't roll over, I can't crawl away, and he's pushing on my head so that my mouth is blocked by the grass, preventing me from screaming. That doesn't stop the tears from flowing freely though.

Somewhere in between smelling the liquor and the hits to the face, I pass out and have no idea what is happening to me. I see images of Rue with a spear through her small middle, Glimmer swelled up and green pus coming out from the tracker jackers stings, Clove's head with a dent in it. The pain of burning flesh is waking me up and I start screaming and thrashing to put the fire out. I fling Gale off of me in my thrashing about and kick my way apart from him. One of my kicks lands squarely at his center and he is doubled over in pain.

I get up awkwardly and in my rush to put as much distance as I can between us, I cry out in pain, quickly covering my mouth as I slowly jog away. I feel sweaty and dirty and I don't care. I need to get home. I need to get to Peeta.

I slow down once I've gotten past the trees, past the meadow and start to see the run down homes of the Seam. It's a miracle I see no one outside and then remember that most are taking this Sunday morning to sleep in. I know I should go to my mother first, but it's Peeta who I need. It's his arms I want to hold me, his words to comfort me. My mother can fix me at his house. I silently thank Effie for providing me birth control during the tour when she found out Peeta and I were sleeping together.

I walk past my own backyard and go straight into Peeta's house. I almost slam the door but instead slip to the floor in a heap. I think that I'm finally going into shock.

"Katniss? Is that you, Baby?" I hear him call from down the hallway. The house smells of baked goods but he was probably painting.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N This story isn't about making Peeta look better to Katniss or even why Gale has hurt her. It's about what can happen when people drink too much and what the consequences can be as well.**

PPOV

I'm walking down the hallway, happy that Katniss is done with the meeting she had with Gale and will probably stay with me the rest of the day. I hear her moan and wonder what's going on, why she sounds hurt. When I round the corner in a hurry now, she's crumpled to the tiled floor and I see grass and dirt stains all over her shoes, up her legs, and on her skirt. That's when I see the blood too. I take five giant steps towards her and when she looks up at me, I see her face is swollen and bloodied on one side.

I get down on the floor with her and gather her up in my arms, hear her squawk from pain and ask, "What happened Katniss? Did Gale do this?"

She slowly nods her head, and I want to kill him for hurting her. I'm pretty sure he raped her but I won't ask. The blood on her legs tells me enough. Rage is running through my veins but I need to make sure Katniss is taken care of first.

"I'm going to call your mom over. Baby, did he only hit you?" I ask as gently as I can, already knowing the answer. She shakes her head and starts crying and rocking herself in my lap.

When I set her down on the floor again, she starts crying even harder, so I pick her up in my arms and take her to the phone with me. I call her mother, tell her that Katniss has been hurt badly and to come over quickly. I shift Katniss in my arms and sit at a chair in the kitchen, waiting for her mother, knowing that Prim will most likely be with her.

I brush her hair away from her face. She did have it braided, but the fight must have made it come loose and now there's little hairs sticking to her forehead wherever there's moisture. She has her knees locked together and I really know from this that he hurt her in a way I never would.

Ms. Everdeen and Prim walk in, not bothering to knock. Ms. Everdeen's blue eyes go wide and Prim's start to tear up. Then like her mother, she goes straight into work mode.

"Prim, clear the table and Peeta, get her up on it as gently as you can." She looks through a small bag she has brought with her pulls out gauze and a few bottles. "What happened? Where was she today?"

"She met up with Gale in the woods." I tell her, setting Katniss down on the table while Prim smoothes her hair back, trying to calm her down. I whisper so only Ms. Everdeen can hear me and point to Katniss' legs, "I think he raped her."

She nods her blond head and goes to Katniss' side. "Honey, can you tell me what happened?"

Prim is already cleaning Katniss' face and applying some kind of ointment to the small cuts on it. I wish it was still cold enough outside so they would have the snow pack on her face. Katniss is still crying and she won't let my hand go, especially when she feels her mother try to spread her legs.

"Katniss, it's your mom, she needs to see what happened." I tell her and she looks at me, one eye turning a deep purple, and the other red from the crying. She nods and opens her legs as more tears fall. Katniss hiccups through her mother's examination and tries to keep eye contact with me.

Her mother shakes her head, either in disbelief that Gale did this or anger that her daughter is hurt, I don't know. She works quietly, never asking again for Katniss to explain. I try not to watch as she cleans blood away from between Katniss' legs and I try not to notice how her knees are bruising up as well once Prim has cleaned them. Prim keeps quiet too, just cleaning the small scratches and cuts she must have received when she fell or was forced down.

I want to kill him, I do, but I can't leave her. I'd heard of women who get raped but never saw or understood why a man would do that. What gratification is there in overpowering someone who is smaller and weaker than you? Would it make them feel more like a man, really? My brother once knew a girl who had been raped by another boy at school and I remember that the boy received a, shall we say, a few midnight callers that almost beat him to death. My brother never admitted it, but I think he was part of the group.

Ms. Everdeen touches my arm to get my attention. I nod and lift Katniss' hand, kiss it and follow her mother into the living room. Her voice is low so that Prim and Katniss can't hear us.

"He did rape her; she has abrasions inside and out that prove it. I don't know if she'll turn him in or not, the punishment could be death…."

"He should die for what he did!" I hold my voice down, but just barely. She puts her hand on my arm.

"Peeta, it's up to her. She'll either tell or I imagine you will do something, either way, he will get what's coming to him." With that, Ms. Everdeen walks back into the kitchen to tend to her daughter. I take a deep breath and go back in as well. Prim is holding a bag of ice to Katniss' face, one perk of a Victor's house, a refrigerator. Snow would still be better.

Katniss has stopped crying and I can tell she would drift off to sleep if she could, if she wasn't still shaking. I look to her mother and she just nods her head and starts to make some tea, the sleeping tea.

"Will you tell me?" I ask softly, taking her hand in mine again. Prim sits on her one side, with the ice and I take a seat on the other. She is older, but not much, she shouldn't have to see her sister like this and yet I wonder how many times she has seen something like this.

Katniss' eye widens and tears form again.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to. I won't ask again." I kiss her hand again, put a stray hair back in its place. She only nods her head and says,

"Can you take me upstairs? Mama, can he take me upstairs?" Her voice is so soft and she sounds young. A child in pain, the woman I love more than anything has been turned into a child in pain.

Her mother nods and I carefully lift her into my arms and slowly take her upstairs to the room we share. Prim follows with the icepack and a mug of tea. Setting her down gently, Prim goes to give Katniss a sip of the tea but she refuses.

"Prim, I need you to leave. I need to talk to Peeta alone. Just stay downstairs with mother, please." Her voice sounds more like herself and I wonder what she has to say to me. Prim goes without a word, leaving me the mug and icepack. Katniss looks at me and I take a seat next to her.

"What is it?" I ask quietly, holding the pack to her face. She moves it aside and says,

"I don't know why Gale did it. He hates me now I guess. He was so mad at me and I didn't do anything. He was drunk too. I didn't even know that he was drinking, but I could smell it on him. He says I'm supposed to have fallen in love with him!" She's getting mad now. I wasn't sure if she would or not.

"Are you going to turn him in to the peacekeepers?" I want her to, but I want her to say no also so I can take care of him myself.

She cocks her head sideways, "No, that would be too good and easy for him." She leans closer and what she says next surprises the hell out of me. "I want you and Haymitch to take care of him. I mean, don't kill him, but make him hurt. I just wish there was a way he could be put into his own arena…"

"Well, that's not going to happen, but I can make sure he is taken care of. I'll go to Haymitch after your mother leaves." She grabs my shirt,

"No, you have to go while they're here." Her voice is a little high and I pry her hands off of me,

"Why? Wouldn't it be more obvious if I left while they're here?" She thinks about it for a minute and shakes her head.

"No, I can't be left alone. Just go talk to Haymitch now, not necessarily take care of _him_ now. And then come back to me." The look in her eyes tells me how scared she is and I know why she wants me to go now. She'll at least have Prim here to keep her company, though I wonder if she'll leave her sister at all.

I nod my head. "Okay, I'll send Prim back up and go talk to Haymitch. I'll probably have to wake him up, hell, he probably just fell asleep."

I kiss her head and go downstairs. I tell her sister to go back up and her mother that I'll be right back and if there's anything I need to get from town.

"No, I have everything we'll need." She says, wiping my table clean of any evidence of Katniss' blood being there. As I open the backdoor, she comes to me, "Whatever you do, don't get caught. If I know Katniss at all, she will have opted not to tell the peacekeepers."

I just nod my head and leave, heading to Haymitch's house two doors down.


	4. Chapter 4

PPOV

I have to take a few deep breathes before I go into Haymitch's house. One, to calm myself down because if I saw Gale right now, I probably would kill him. Two, because I can't get the image of Katniss bleeding out of my head. I've seen her bleed, but it was because she was fighting to save us. And three, because entrance into Haymitch's house needs a fresh air before you walk into it.

I go around to the front door, even though I know he'll more than likely be asleep on the kitchen table. As usual, there are bottles strewn about and his house smells of stale liquor and general disgustingness. I carefully go into the kitchen and he is exactly where I thought he'd be, head on the table in a pool of his own drool with a bottle in one hand and his knife in the other. I fill up the only empty container I can find with water and toss it on him, jumping back to the backdoor that I have opened.

He launches out of his chair and slips on the water, bringing a smile to my face in such a bad time. He almost falls completely but catches himself on the table. "What the hell! Boy! Are you out of your mind?"

"Just waking you up. We need to talk." I take a seat at the table and wait for him to settle down. He glares at me and takes a seat in his now wet clothes.

"Where's Katniss? You two are hardly ever not together." It stings when he says it because I now feel like I should have been there to protect her.

"Something's happened and I need your help to take care of it." I say as seriously as I can so he understands I'm not joking. He looks at my face and he goes to take a swig of what turns out to be nothing in the bottle. He looks at the empty bottle and then throws it into the pile with the rest.

"What? Where's Katniss?" He asks me again, more serious and I know he is fully awake now.

"She went to see Gale in the woods today and he….he hurt her." I can't look at anything but my hands and I'm itching to get back to comfort her. "He hit her…"

"Big deal, she can take him down…" He interrupts me.

"And he raped her." Haymitch's gray eyes widen at the word, the meaning of what I just said. Of why I'm here without her right now.

Suddenly Haymitch is on his feet, looking for his knife. I grab his arm and say, "Not now. We will hurt him for what he's done to her, but not right now. I need to get back to Katniss. When she is really asleep, I'll come back and we'll get him."

All he does is nod and then he asks, "Has her mother seen her?"

"Yes. The only good thing about the whole situation is that Effie put Katniss on birth control a few months ago." I get up to leave and then turn when I'm at the door. "I get the first and last hit with him. Katniss told me we can't kill him though."

Haymitch nods his dirty blond head again. I leave and shut the door behind me. As I'm walking down his back steps, I hear glass crashing to the floor and shattering. Haymitch will never say it to her face or to mine, but I know he loves her as the daughter he never had.

When I get back into my house, Ms. Everdeen is cleaning a couple of mugs and Prim is just walking into the kitchen.

"She's asking for you. She's just finished her tea." Prim informs me and I head straight upstairs to our room.

Katniss is facing the window, so I crawl in next to her and wrap my arms around her.

"Stay with me please, Peeta?" I hear her whisper.

"Always." And I hug her body close to mine and feel her drift off to a place where I hope that no one can hurt her anymore today or ever for that matter.

While I listen to Katniss' breathing even out and know that she is truly asleep, I stay with her for a good hour, thinking of how I'm going to hurt Gale. He's taller, might look bigger, but I know I'm stronger. I've gained back any weight lost in the Games and I still lift plenty of bags of flour at the bakery. He must have some idea that I will come after him, so there shouldn't be any surprises really. I just wonder if he'll let his mother know what he's done. If he will tell anyone for that matter. I don't know any of his friends, we weren't in the same class and he had a thing against me for being a townie.

Well, make that two things, Katniss loves me and chose me over him. If he really did this to her because of her choosing me, than I hate him even more. She mentioned he was drunk, but was that really why he did it? Haymitch is a dirty, lazy drunk, sometimes mean, but not physically mean. He's more….well, I remember not taking him too seriously when I watched him fall off the stage during our reaping. Is Gale the other kind of drunk?

Everyone should be able to make their own decisions regarding whom they love, no matter where they're from. She took convincing anyway, she faked loving me for a long enough time that I wasn't even really sure when she said it one night on the train. We had already gotten into the habit of sleeping in each other's room to keep the nightmares to a minimum, but one night, after we visited District 8, she whispered that she loved me. I almost didn't hear her and made her repeat three times just to make sure. Of course, Katniss thought that I was making fun of her and got a little mad, but I just kissed her and she quieted down after that. That was also the same night we both lost our virginity. Such an amazing night and Gale has tainted it somehow because of his jealousy or drunkenness.

I need to figure out how I'm going to hurt him without killing him.


	5. Chapter 5

PPOV

Once Katniss is really out, I slide myself out of bed and go downstairs. Prim is sitting at the kitchen table drinking some of the sun tea I made yesterday. She looks up at me while I pour myself a glass and take a seat across from her.

"Peeta, why did Gale do this to her? I thought he was her best friend?" She asks, sounding a bit like Katniss but softer.

"I don't know, Prim. He was mad at her I guess." I take a sip of my tea. "Will you stay here with her while I go out with Haymitch?"

"Are you going to hurt Gale?" So straight to the point. She seems much older than she looks.

"I think we will. Katniss doesn't want to turn him in and he can't just get away with what he did. Prim, do you completely understand what he did to her?" I want to make sure she doesn't think we'll beat him up just because he hit her, though that's reason enough for me.

She looks down at her glass and then straight back up into my eyes, "He beat her, that much was obvious, but he raped her too, didn't he? Why would he do that?"

"I don't know Prim. I really don't understand what could have been going through his mind when he did what he did to her." Now I really wish Katniss hadn't gone when she said she felt weird about it. "Whatever happened though, he'll have deserved it."

"I always thought he was so nice too." She says, getting up and heading towards the stairs. "I'll stay upstairs in case she wakes up, though mama made the tea a little stronger than usual."

I nod my head, finish my tea and head to Haymitch's house. He is still in the kitchen, but he has showered and put on clean clothes. He seems very wide awake and ready to go along with whatever I say.

"What's the plan, Boy?" He asks, pacing back and forth, making me nervous.

"Sit down please. You're making me more nervous than I should be." He just glares at me for a moment and I'm amazed he listens when he takes a seat. I nod my head, "Good, thanks. I have to ask him why he did it first of all. I need to know why he would hurt her like that when he said he loved her before."

"He's an ass, who cares why he did it?" Haymitch asks, raising his voice just slightly.

"I agree but I need to know. I've never understood why any man would do such a thing, but it's Katniss and he was her best friend up until just a few months ago. Could he really have been that jealous to have done such a horrible thing?" I'm trying to rationalize it to myself as much as I am to Haymitch.

"Fine, then what are we going to do?" He's agitated and I understand why, he just wants to hurt Gale. I've never been friends with Gale, but he owes Katniss at least some reason as to why he suddenly turned on her.

"Well, I want to go to his house, see if he there's first. If not, maybe his mother or brothers will know." Haymitch nods and we get up.

"You're much too nice, Boy." He says as we walk out of his house.

Haymitch has to lead the way into the Seam, as I've never really been in it. He points out the Hawthorne's small shack of a home and I go to the front door by myself. He's much too angry and can't look Hazel in the eyes right now, or so he tells me. I knock on the wooden door, which is splintering from the weather beating down on it for so long and it's bleached a lighter color than what it once was. A young boy answers, I don't know his name, Katniss knows all of their names, but he knows who I am.

"Peeta Mellark? Mama, Peeta Mellark is here!" He yells and runs back into the house all excited.

His mother comes to the open door and gives me a shaky smile. "Mr. Mellark, what can we do for you?" She reminds me of Katniss' mother, only with the traditional Seam features of darker hair and gray eyes, which I notice are tinged red from crying.

"Actually, I'm looking for Gale. Is he here?" Her eyes widen, could it be that he told his own mother what he did?

"He was, but he went back into the woods." I start to turn to walk away but she calls me, "Wait, Mr. Mellark."

I turn to her again and there are tears in her eyes. "Did he really hurt her?"

"What did he tell you?"

"He didn't. Her mother came by. Did he really ra….do that to Katniss?" Her voice is cracking and she's wringing her hands together. She must know that I intend to do something to her son.

"Yes he did." And I walk away. When did Ms. Everdeen come over here? It must have been when I was upstairs waiting for Katniss to fall asleep. That would have given her plenty of time. I wonder how shocked she was and I wonder why Ms. Everdeen told her. Maybe she came looking for him for her own answers? Maybe she came to warn him? I doubt it; she seemed perfectly fine with us taking justice into our own hands as long as we don't get caught.

I go back to where Haymitch was waiting, just behind another house. "He's back in the woods. Why would he go back into it? And how the hell do they get over the fence when it's turned back on?"

"Knowing Katniss and him, they probably found a way. We're going to have to find it on our own though since she's out for a few hours at least and he's not here." Haymitch starts walking towards the forest and I follow him again. Katniss hasn't taken me in with her when she goes hunting; I still make too much noise. I don't imagine Haymitch is any quieter, he isn't a hunter either.

We're scanning the edge of the fence when I see Gale coming towards us with two rabbits and some fish around his shoulders. He hasn't seen us yet, so I pull Haymitch behind a tree so we can see how it is that he gets in and out. He throws his game over the fence, which is humming with electricity. Damn Capitol, not trusting us anymore. Oh well, that's the least of my worries for now. Then he goes to a high tree and carefully picking which branches to step on, climbs up and jumps down from one that is high enough over the fence to not get fried. No such luck on him twisting his ankle like Katniss did a few months ago; he's made this jump a few times. Just as he's gathering his game again, I step out from behind the tree and so does Haymitch. It takes Gale all of three seconds to notice we're there.

"I knew you'd come after me." He says, not seeming to care. He looks at both of us and says with a cocky smile, "So, it'll take two of you to take care of me?"

"No, he'll take care of you, I just want to watch." Haymitch replies. I know he's itching to get at least one hit in though.

"Well, Bread Boy, take your best shot." He retorts, dropping the game on the ground again. I take a few steps forward and he doesn't make a move at all.

"I want to know why you did it. Why would you hurt a girl you claimed to be in love with?" I have to hear his answer.

His eyes widen at the question. "Why? I was drunk! I don't know why I did! Why the hell is she with you? That's what I want to know!" He takes a step forward and his hands are speaking just as angrily as his words do.

"That's your excuse? You were drunk? What the hell is that?" I ask him back, taking another step towards him.

"I was. I don't remember grabbing her, hitting her, doing what I did. Not very well anyway." He answers, his head hanging down for a moment. Then it snaps back up. "She wasn't always in love with you; she could have still chosen me!"

"She could have, but that's not the point. You hit and raped your best friend!" The gap between is closing and I can feel my anger rising more the closer I get to him. I can't see Haymitch, but Gale's eyes flashed to him when I said raped and I know he's not far behind me.

"I didn't mean to though. I'm sorry I did it, but she could be with me!"

"You're sorry? Sorry? Really? Hear that Haymitch? He's sorry! He's sorry he raped and beat his best friend!" I yell back to him. I'm not going to take my eyes off this, man, no, rat in front of me. We're just two feet away from each other now.

"She should always have been with me Bread Boy! What do you know about starving and having to keep your family alive!"

And now he's hit another nerve. "You fucking asshole!" And I take the first swing, landing perfectly against his mouth. He is knocked back for a second, but not down and comes back ready to punch me, but I duck at just the right moment and hit him in the side with my other hand. This punch makes him stumble back again and I don't wait to tackle him and knock him down. This is where my wrestling moves will come in handy.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N - The fight everyone seems to be waiting for :)

PPOV

Gale's height is actually working against him in this fight. And he doesn't realize that I'm actually pretty limber. I pin him down quicker than I have ever pinned down anyone and I haven't wrestled in the last year because of the Games. While I have him down, Haymitch runs over and punches him in the face and I almost lose hold of him because I take the time to laugh. Yet, the punch knocks Gale out for a moment and I get up.

Still chuckling, I turn to Haymitch and ask, "What the hell was that? Punch him while he's down?"

"Shut up, he could tear me a new one if you didn't have hold of him. He's getting up again." I turn back to Gale and my foot takes aim for his chest. Haymitch yells, "Take that dickhead!"

Gale doesn't have time to react and the kick gets him straight in the center of his chest. He doubles over onto his back, clutching his chest and bringing his knees up. This isn't the fight I was expecting. I thought he would be more involved somehow and he doesn't even seem fully aware of what's happening. I bend down over him but not too close, I don't want him to grab me unawares.

"What's with you? Why aren't you fighting back?" I ask him, watching him roll around on the ground. Just then Haymitch kind of whistles at us, drawing my attention away from Gale. I see two peacekeepers headed our way. They aren't running, so whatever it is I have enough time to get Gale to a standing position. He groans when I heave him up and I see that Haymitch has already hidden the game he caught.

"What's going here?" A female peacekeeper asks. She could be the same one who was waiting at Katniss' house when she disappeared into the woods. Since I already have one shoulder under Gale's arm to support him, I calmly answer,

"Nothing, my friend here had a little too much and I'm taking him home now." I hate using that word and holding up this sad excuse for a human. She takes a look at Gale, who looks ready to throw up and she cringes away. The other peacekeeper has kept his distance, just watching us. Luckily Haymitch has kept quiet as well.

"What happened to his face?" She asks, taking another look.

I lean in and in a lowered voice for just her ears and ours say, "He's not a clean drinker. I found him out here like this. I think he might have run into a tree or something."

She nods again and turns to leave. "Get him back home where he can't hurt himself or anyone else."

"Yes, Ma'am." I heave him up once more and Haymitch comes to take the other side. Within minutes, we have deposited on his too-small bed at home. His mother keeps thanking me for not doing worse and I just tell her, "It may not be over."

As Haymitch and I walk back towards Katniss' house, we stay pretty quiet until we get there. In one way, it was a good thing Gale didn't really fight back because of the peacekeepers sudden appearance. At the same time, it was unnerving. He only tried to get in a couple of punches and it didn't take me any time at all to pin him down.

Once we get into her house, I see that her mother is back and she's sitting at the table with Prim. Haymitch sits down at one empty chair while I grab a jar filled with cookies from the other day and set it in the center of the table. Haymitch shoves one in his mouth before I can get any milk poured.

"I have something you can put on your hand so it doesn't swell too badly." Ms. Everdeen says, breaking the silence. I look down and yes, my knuckles are red, but not that bad.

"Thanks, I think they're okay." I respond, sitting in my own chair.

"You weren't gone very long." Prim comments, not looking at us, just the mug of tea in front of her.

"A couple of peacekeepers came around." I answer her and then look at Ms. Everdeen. "Why did you go to their house?"

She looks at me and in a very steady, serious tone, she says, "Hazel needed to know what her son did. I didn't think Gale would tell her and I'm betting you didn't tell her why you went looking for her son."

"No, but when she asked me if he had done it, I told her yes. What I don't get is…" I stop because this is a topic I want to talk to Katniss about.

"What don't you get?" She asks me.

I shake my head. "Nothing. Katniss hasn't woken up at all, has she?"

"No, but she's been yelling and crying in her sleep." Prim informs me.

"I better go up there." I stand up and drink my milk. "If you all will excuse me."

As I go up the stairs, I hear whimpering from our room. I take off my shoes and shirt and slide into bed, taking Katniss in my arms. Even though the house is cool, she is hot and sweaty. Once I've wrapped her in arms though, she quiets down and I can feel her body relax against mine. Within minutes, she's giving off a faint snore and I start to doze off as well. It's not even noon yet and so much has happened. I just figure we are very much justified to taking a nap.

KPOV

I'm in a forest of fire. The forest is on fire? Trying to run, I get hit on my leg and the burning is so intense, but I know I have to keep going.

Rue's dark little face, looking up at me. She knows she's dying but wants a song. I can't deny her this; she's too much like Prim.

Peeta being held by the throat by Cato. Leg bleeding, face turning whiter by the second. Makes an 'x' with his bloody finger. Catching him as Cato throws him forward.

Gale's hand coming up to hit me. Red-rimmed eyes that hold anger and sadness. Grass in my face, up my nose, in my mouth. A kick to his groin that was just on me.

Being in Peeta's arms is always my safest place. Warm, strong, always protected with Peeta. I turn into the warmth, breathe in and know he's holding me. I open my eyes slowly, they feel so heavy and one will barely open at all. I can see Peeta's face though and he has a small sad smile on his lips. I feel him kiss my forehead.

"Hi beautiful." He says against my head. I roll over just enough to be on my back and groan. So sore, why am I so sore? Wait, why am I sore? What happened?

"Peeta?" I bring my fingers to my face; feel the lump on my cheek and by my eye. I turn my head to look at him, questions all over my face I'm sure. "Peeta? Did it really happen? Did Gale really do this to me?"

He nods his head sadly, as if he's hoping that I wouldn't remember what happened to me earlier today. Or wait, how long have I been asleep?

I feel tears well in my eyes and ask him, "How long have we been here?"

He takes my hand away from my face and holds it in his. "You've been asleep for almost a day. I think your mother made the tea extra strong this time."

I nod. Maybe she was hoping I would forget too. I never really forget anything; just block it the best way that I know how. Being with Peeta always makes the bad stuff disappear for awhile. It's when I'm asleep that they sneak back in. I never really want to close my eyes. "Did you leave?"

"Yes. Haymitch was with me. Gale didn't really fight back much, he was…I don't know. He said he was drunk when it happened and doesn't remember much of anything. It was weird. Haymitch got in a good hit though." Peeta snorts, picturing something I'm sure. He sees the question on my face and fills in the blanks, "I had Gale already pinned down and Haymitch just kind of came over and punched him. It just looked funny."

I just nod my head and start to get myself up. Peeta realizes what I'm doing and helps me up. "I need to shower, I feel gross."

He nods and helps me get out of my clothes and into the shower. I stand under the water, head down and watch the dirt and blood mix and go down the drain. Why did Gale do this to me?


	7. Chapter 7

KPOV

Once I feel cleaner, I finally get out of the shower. My skin feels almost raw with how much I scrubbed and scrubbed it. I don't know how long it will be before I actually feel clean again. Peeta isn't in the bathroom when I get out, but there's a big fluffy towel waiting for me and a thinner one for my hair. I wrap my hair up in the towel and after I've dried myself, stand in front of the mirror. The bruises on my face aren't as puffy as they would be had my mother and Prim not treated them, but the color is horrible. Dark purple, almost a true black eye, my cheek just as bad. One side of my mouth is bigger then the other because of how Gale hit me, giving me half of a fat lip. My knees are scratched up, but that's nothing compared to the bruising on my inner thighs. I couldn't see them from the front, but when I turned around; I could see them plain as day and almost started to cry again. I still don't understand why he did this to me.

I pull myself together and tell myself that I will be fine. Peeta is here to protect me and I will never be left alone with Gale again. Could it really be that the liquor he drank pushed him to this? Would he have done it had he not been drinking? Haymitch drinks all the time and I have never heard of him doing anything this foul. But really, would Gale have done this had he not been drunk? I of course can't answer these questions, but they will bother me nonetheless. I comb out my hair and put it in its signature braid. I walk out into the bedroom with just my towel on, as I have no clothes except the dirty ones in here.

Peeta is sitting at the small desk in the corner with a sketch book in his hands. He always seems to be doodling if he's not baking or with me. He looks up and gives me a warm smile. Putting down his book, he gets up and comes to me, pulling me into his warm, solid, safe arms.

"How do you feel?" He asks me, very quietly. I guess he's not sure if that's the right question to ask right now. I'm not sure if it's the right question to ask, but I answer anyway.

"A little better, at least cleaner." I pull away from him and go into my closet to grab some underwear and clothes. He sits down on the edge of the bed and just watches me, maybe waiting for me to freak out or something, I don't know.

"Are you hungry at all? I can make you breakfast." He informs me. I am hungry but not sure if I'll be able to hold anything down at the moment. I turn to him and know that my face must be giving away how I feel because he frowns a little.

"Not really. Maybe just some ginger tea, a couple of crackers if we have any." He nods and gets up. "No, I'll come down. I don't want to be up here anymore."

"Okay." He waits for me and helps me down the stairs. Walking seems to aggravate the bruises between my legs.

I carefully sit down at the table while he heats some water and gets the crackers out for me while it heats. When the whistle starts to blow, I kind of wince at the noise. It's never bothered me before, and it wasn't part of anything to do with the Games, but the noise upsets me anyways. Great, something new that will give me nightmares. I have a feeling that a teapot won't be the only thing I scream about though.

Peeta sets a mug and some crackers on a napkin in front of me. I start to nibble on a cracker while the tea cools. He sits down across from me, munching on a cookie with a glass of milk.

"Has my mother or Prim been by today?"

"No. Of course Prim has school today though and she's probably already there." I nod, forgetting I missed most of a whole day. I wish I could forget the reason why I forgot it. Peeta puts his hand out and I slide mine into it and give him a small smile. Of course it hurts; I have a feeling that I'll be hurting for a few days to say the least.

"Did you and Haymitch find Gale yesterday?" I ask him, drinking some of the tea. It feels soothing to the butterflies in my stomach and I'm glad I asked him to make it.

"Yeah. But it was weird. He could have still been drunk because he didn't put up much of a fight. Course, then two peacekeepers showed up anyway." He dunks a cookie into his milk and takes a big bite.

I look at him to continue, but when he doesn't, have to ask, "He didn't fight back?"

"No, it was weird. I figured he'd know that at least I would come after him, and he laughed when he saw Haymitch, but I only threw, like, two punches and pinned him quicker than anyone I've ever pinned before." Peeta snorts at the end of this and adds, "Haymitch punched him when he was down. Said that he knew Gale would get him if he had the chance."

I can't help but laugh at the image, but it hurts to laugh and smile. It hurts to frown, hell; everything hurts because of where he hit me. So I resign to nodding and throw out another question, "Do you think he didn't want to fight back?"

"Went through my mind. He could be feeling really guilty, I don't know. Can't tell you why he did what he did at all yesterday." Peeta looks at out hands together and then squeezes mine. "He won't ever hurt you again though, I promise you that."

I squeeze his back, "I know. I just wish…I just wish I understood what he was thinking when it was happening, you know?"

Peeta nods his blond head, his curls falling into his eyes. The prep team will have a field day with that. The prep team, oh crap, "When's the team coming out here?"

"The team? Oh, Effie and all them?" I nod and he thinks about it for a second, "Next week. Effie had called while you were with Prim on Saturday. She wanted to make sure there would be room for everyone between both houses."

"You think that they can hide all these bruises?" I ask him, pulling my hand from his and pointing to myself. He gives me a smile and replies,

"They can do anything. I wouldn't doubt that it would be almost too easy for them." He's probably right; I imagine that they could cover anything up.

"Have you wondered what kind of twist they'll do for the Quarter Quell?" We haven't discussed it at all, since we're still having nightmares from our set of Games.

"A little. I keep thinking that I'll have to go back in for some reason." He says quietly, like he's afraid that the idea will come out right now and eat him alive. Except, I know what he's talking about. I've had the same thoughts.

"Me too. Like they'll punish us for the whole thing with the berries." Peeta nods, apparently we think more alike than I've realized. It's probably why we were meant to be together. "I just wish there was a way I could make sure Prim's name was taken out of the bowl altogether."

"I know. But at least she has someone who loves her enough to volunteer for her." His blue eyes are sad now.

"Your brothers might have done it if they weren't too old for it." He shakes his head and I reach over the table and put my hand on his cheek. "They love you."

"It's not the same. But it doesn't matter, we survived it and we're done with it and now we're together." He smiles at the end of this sentence and I know we're past the sad moment for now. "Do you want to see your mother, or do you have to for any reason?"

I shake my head, "No, I think they did what they would normally do. I was hoping we could just stay home today, unless you have to go to the bakery?"

"I don't have to. I told Prim to let my parents know I probably wouldn't be in for at least a couple of days."

This is just another reason why sometimes I feel Peeta's too good for me. I would have been too busy plotting how I would ruin Gale's life somehow and here he is sending my sister with messages. He's so good to me and I know that I'm lucky to have him, glad that I chose him, and forever grateful that we both survived the Games. Instead I just nod and get up. "Will you bake something?"

"Of course. What do you want?" He says, getting up from the table too.

"I don't really care; I just like watching you bake." I try to get up on the stool that I usually sit at when I watch him, but it's too uncomfortable and go back to my chair.

"Okay." He grabs his apron and ties it on and then opens the pantry door and looks at all of his ingredients. He pulls out what he needs and gets to starting up what I think will be bread.

I relax just watching Peeta start to knead his dough. I nestle as best I can in the kitchen chair and my mind starts to wander. What if I still didn't love Peeta the way that I do? Would he still be in love with me? Would Gale and I have turned from friends to more? I never really saw him that way. Yes, we kissed, but I never felt that…._thing_ that I feel when I'm kissing Peeta. There was never a wanting for more or need to be in his arms. He may not understand why I chose Peeta and I don't know that I even explained it right to him yesterday, but can you even help who you do fall in love with? Look at my own mother and father. She was a merchant's daughter and chose a coal miner over a baker. And somehow the baker's son has chosen that very same coal miner's daughter. The circle we've all created is beautiful though and I wouldn't have it any other way now that I know of it.

My thoughts turn to the day Peeta and I saw the ocean in District 4. So beautiful and yet so dangerous at the same time. I tried to get him to go in the water with me, but realized that he couldn't swim and he was afraid. We instead sat at the water's edge; let the tide wash over our feet. When it started to come in higher, we moved further back and watched the sun setting over it. The orange-red glow from the sun meeting the deep blue water's edge was the most striking thing I had ever seen. I asked Peeta to paint it when we got back on the train and he did. It now hung on my wall in my house, though I was planning on moving it over here soon.

All of a sudden, the backdoor flies open and Haymitch is standing in the doorway. "You both better sit down."

A/N - I'll be out of town for awhile, so there may not be any updates. Sorry, girl's gotta take a vacation :)


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N - Short chapter, but we just got back from vacation and I figured something is better than nothing :)**

KPOV

Of course since I'm already sitting, this just makes me want to do the opposite.

"What is it? What's happened?" Peeta asks, coming to the table as Haymitch does and they both take a seat.

"Effie just called your mother's house looking for you and since I was there, she gave me the phone…"

"Why were you at my house?" I ask, he never goes to see my mother. Haymitch gives me a look of annoyance and continues,

"Anyway, she told me that she heard a rumor of what might be happening for the Quarter Quell."

"But they're going to announce next week, aren't they?" Peeta asks before me and we both just look at our former mentor.

He nods and goes on, "Yeah, well, sometimes they let it slip, people that are part of the judging panel. They drink, even more than me really, but they're sloppy about it and secrets get told that shouldn't be."

"Point?" I interrupt again. If it's that important, he should just tell us now.

"Right, well anyway, she overheard that they might be putting all the former victors back in the arena." Both Peeta and I look at each other and then Haymitch. We would have to kill one another….again. Not to mention throwing Haymitch in there.

"That can't be right! Why would they do that?" Peeta stands up and nearly knocks over his chair.

"It's fine; it's just a rumor, Peeta. Effie could have heard it wrong." I tell him, trying to calm him down without getting up. The problem is, I don't really believe that and I know he doesn't believe that either.

Haymitch just looks at us, "Sure, it could be a rumor, but it probably isn't. Usually what Effie hears is quite real, even as annoying as she is."

Peeta shakes his head but sits down again. "You really ready to be in there again, Haymitch?"

"Hell no! But I have friends who are in a lot worse shape than I am and they'd probably be up for it."

Trying to lighten the mood a little, I can't resist saying, "You have friends?"

He gives me a sarcastic smile and says slowly, "Yes…..Haymitch…..has …friends."

I nod my head and from the look I get from Peeta, I straighten up in my chair and get my serious face on. "Why do you think they'd do this?"

"They're probably still pissed off at you for the stunt you pulled with the berries. What better way to kill you off?"

"So why not just kill me? It's not like they can't find some incredibly easy way to do it and make it look like an accident." I answer back; trying not to look at Peeta's shocked face.

"They can't! People love you!" Peeta almost yells, pacing the tiled floor.

"Seriously, Peeta, that's probably why the Capitol is so pissed off. I got people riled up without even meaning to. Snow could care less if I just happened to get mauled by a bear or fell into a deep hole…."

"Stop it! Haymitch, what do you think, really?" Peeta looks at the older man and Haymitch just shakes his head.

"I wouldn't doubt that it is really going to happen. But there could be another twist we don't know about. Whatever happens, we will do what we do best…..survive." With that, Haymitch gets up and leaves. Peeta sits back down and looks at me.

"This has been a weird few days. You felt weird about meeting Gale and he did ….what he did…and we both feel like we'll have to go back in and Haymitch is telling us that it'll probably happen." He drops his head in his hands and quietly asks, "Why can't we just live happily ever after?"

I put one of my hands over his and answer, "Because life isn't that perfect."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - Really getting back into writing mode here. Enjoy!**

PPOV

The next few days go by in a bit of a blur. Katniss is healing, but now she has new nightmares to contend with and even when I'm holding her in my arms, she can't stop shaking. Due to me being up with her for hours at a time, I know I look like hell especially when the prep team finally bursts into town and all they can do is gasp at the sight of us.

"Oh, Peeta, Katniss, what happened to you both?" Octavia cries out, putting a tender hand to Katniss' face. Her black eye is now that olive greenish-yellow that bruises turn into. Cinna stands right behind Octavia and looks her over once.

"That'll be easy enough for you three to fix. Give me a minute with them though." He orders in his softest voice. The three team members leave Katniss and me with her stylist. Making sure to close the door behind them, Cinna motions for us to take a seat on the couch. He sits across from us in a chair. "Snow has left me in charge of both of your styles this time around, at least for this particular event. Portia will join us if needed."

I nod, but have to ask, "Why do we need you guys anyway? Are they taping us watching the announcement or something?"

"Effie should have told you this already. Yes, they are going to be taping you live during the Quarter Quell announcement. I'm only here to make sure you both look spectacular as always." He says with a small smile. "No gowns or anything outrageous, just not everyday clothing."

"If Katniss trusts you, I do too." I already know that Cinna is a good man. He has taken into account Katniss' style since the beginning. He made her the Girl on Fire for crying out loud!

"Well thank you for that, Peeta." He gets up and replies, "Let's get you two upstairs. I'm thinking some new measurements may be in order. Both of you have gained some of your weight back and I want to make sure everything fits comfortably."

We go upstairs and within seconds, hear the prep team bounding up the stairs, chattering away. I didn't realize how much more annoying Katniss' team was than mine. My team seems super quiet compared to hers and mine were never silent. They strip us down to our underwear and more gasps come out when they see the scratches and bruises on Katniss' knees and the back of her thighs. Most of the cuts have healed nicely due to her mother's hands and ointments. All three of them purse their lips and get to measuring us.

Since being back home from the Games, my chest and arms have gotten back some of their muscle plus some and I noticed that Katniss has filled out once again. I love her curves, always have, and probably always will. Especially since I get to see her naked so much. I shouldn't think of her like that with what happened to her last week, but hell, I'm a guy. I couldn't help that if I tried and I have tried. I still have to figure out if Haymitch and I are going to pay Gale another visit or not. Katniss hasn't brought it up again and I don't want to be the one who does it.

Cinna comes back up after having going over some of the outfits he brought with him and pulls two garment bags from over his shoulders. "I think these will be a nice fit. I made them at the end of the tour, when you two were really 'official'. Plus, since it's getting cool again, I figured Katniss would appreciate pants. I had no idea I would be covering up bruises and scratches. Can you three leave us again, please?"

The team leaves us again. All they've done so far is measure and comb out Katniss' hair, which hasn't done much since they last saw us, but mine has grown a little. We both take a seat on the bed this time and Cinna sits in a chair at the desk.

"So, will you tell me what happened or will I find out some other way? Even Effie didn't warn me of this, which means she doesn't know something." He asks us, looking directly at Katniss.

She puts her head down and when she looks back up at him, there are tears in her gray eyes. I take her hand in mine and squeeze it. She hasn't talked about it in a week and I don't know how her reaction will be to actually telling it. Cinna gets up and walks to us, going down on his knees in front of her, taking her other hand into his darker one.

"What happened, Katniss?" He looks at her with his green eyes, and even I can tell she will let him know everything, even though she hasn't explained it too me. I'm not upset by it though, she needs to tell someone and I'm still here with her.

She sniffles and wipes her hand across her nose before he can give her a tissue. "A week ago Sunday….I met up with Gale….and he….." she has to stop for a moment and he gives her the tissue. She lets go of my hand to blow her nose and wipe her tears. "He attacked me."

"That's why you're all bruised up? He beat you up?" The older man asks quietly. He isn't going to push her too far, but he wants to know what happened. I can tell by the look on Katniss' face that she doesn't want to say the word.

"He raped her, Cinna. He beat her and raped her." I tell him carefully. More tears roll down Katniss' face and I grip her hand even tighter. "He said that he was drunk and doesn't even remember what really happened."

Cinna's mouth opens into an 'O' and then closes, opens again and closes again. He has no idea how to react. Then his features flash anger, which I have never seen from him. "Did you turn him in?"

Katniss shakes her head, "Peeta and Haymitch went to see him. Peeta said that he didn't even really fight back."

He looks at me then and asks, "Why wouldn't you turn him in and let the Peacekeepers handle him?"

"Katniss asked me and Haymitch to take care of it, so we did. Well, tried anyway." I don't know how to explain to him what happened, it's still so odd to me. "I punched him twice and pinned him really quick. He only threw one punch and missed. Haymitch got a hit in there too, but it didn't really do much more."

"How are you doing though, Katniss? You're healing, which I'm guessing is your mother's healing hands, but how are you?" He asks her. She looks at me again, so I answer for her.

"She's been having nightmares again. It's worse now than when we were on tour. I think it's because this was someone she actually knows. Don't tell the team, if you don't have to. It's bad enough." I warn him. Cinna just nods and gets back up.

"No, I won't tell if you don't want me to. But if they see something when you're getting prepped, they may ask. What are you telling people?" That's a good question actually.

We both shake our heads; we hadn't thought to have a story ready to go since she hasn't left the house much at all except to go to see her mother or Haymitch. Cinna nods again.

"Okay, tell people that you got into a fight with another girl over Peeta. Anyone would believe that. They'll just be surprised that she managed to give you a black eye is all." He smiles at that and we nod our heads. That will work for now. No one needs to know what she really went through. "Alright, now for the business part of this trip. The team will do its usual strip down and beauty base. Since Snow just wants to see reactions, not too much make-up, though of course Katniss you will need a little more because of the bruises and cuts. Other than that, no waxing of any sort, it's not needed and maybe a little trim for you Peeta, your hair is growing quickly."

We stand up at the same time as he opens the door and lets the team back in. He gives them the rundown of what he just told us, making sure they are careful of Katniss' bruises. They don't separate us and because they keep chattering away, I don't even get to talk to Katniss about anything. She seems to be doing okay, until they get to her thighs and she winces but says nothing.

When our hair and make-up is done, I'm put into a sky blue shirt and brown slacks with a pair of heavy brown boots. Cinna wasn't kidding about it not being flashy in any way. Katniss is in almost the same exact thing, only more feminine and I want to take her into my arms and just kiss her all over. The boots she's wearing are up to just under her knees and laced up all the way. They left her hair down, with a tan headband holding it out of her face. No one will be able to tell that she has a discolored eye at all; I can't even see any remnants of it. When that's all done, Cinna comes in and looks us over, primping Katniss' hair a little here and there and nodding a job well done by his team.

All of us head out to the village's center, where the big screens are lit up, ready to go. Effie and Haymitch are in the front and we go to stand with them. Cinna and the rest of the prep team stand behind us. I'm sure that Prim and Ms. Everdeen are in the back somewhere, but have no need to be up front with us really. As if on cue, the giant screens show Caesar Flickerman on stage with President Snow.

"Well, now, President Snow, how are we tonight?" He asks with the giant fake smile of his. His hair is still blue like the last time we saw him, his skin slightly less so. He's a nice guy, trying to help out the interviewees, but he seems so….well, fake.

"Just fine, Caesar, just fine." The President looks at the audience and they are waiting in anticipation for what will be happening with this Quarter Quell. "Well, I'm sure everyone is holding their breath for this one."

The audience cheers, they can't wait for whatever tortures are set in store for all the other children of Panem. Never theirs, why would they worry about it?

Snow gives a smile and opens an old worn box, pulling out an envelope. He shows it to the camera, it says 75th Hunger Games across the front and he shows the back as well to prove that it hasn't been messed with since the Games began. He puts the box down and pulls out a small knife, sliding it across the wax seal. Slowly, too slowly, he pulls out the piece of paper inside of it and starts to read:

"The seventy-fifth Hunger Games will call for each surviving victor to volunteer one person under the age of twenty-one to go into the arena. Should they not choose someone, they will go in again."

There's a collective breath from the audience, both from the screen and from everyone in our district who is standing behind us. Snow looks into the camera, it seems like he's looking directly at us, and says,

"May the odds be ever in your favor, Victors."

I look at Katniss, she looks like she is about to pass out, so I wrap my arm around her waist just in case. Then I look at Haymitch and he just nods. He knew part of it, but not the whole thing. What the hell are we going to do now?


	10. Chapter 10

KPOV

Oh my God, I was expecting just the three of us having to go back in, not having to choose someone else! Of course I know who I'm going to choose, but I would probably have to explain to the whole district why I did so. But they should know what he did, even if he doesn't know why he did it.

I feel Peeta's arm around my waist, he thinks that I'm going to faint, when in fact I feel like jumping for joy. Gale is going to go into that arena, but will I really let Peeta and Haymitch choose someone too? How can all of us doom someone else's fate with this evil of all evils? I pass people and they look scared and become a blur as Peeta guides me through the crowd. It only takes us minutes to get home, where all three of us sit down at the kitchen table. Within minutes of that, Prim, my mother, Cinna, and Effie are all in the kitchen as well. Prim looks shaken, though I can't figure out why, it's not like any of us would send her in. We all just kind of sit quietly, looking at one another. It's Haymitch who finally breaks that silence.

"So, who gets to put in Gale's name?" He asks, with a devilish smile on his face. Effie looks at him and then to me,

"Your cousin? Why would you want your cousin to go in?" She's so clueless and the fact that she bought the whole story of him being my cousin is ludicrous. My mother looks at her and in a serious tone replies,

"He is not her cousin, Effie, and he has done something truly horrible, so he deserves it." My mother walks out after that, leaving Prim to stand awkwardly in the kitchen.

She comes up to me, puts her small hand on my shoulder, kisses the top of my head, and says, "He should go in. He may survive, but at least he'll maybe understand what you two went through. I'm going to go home and sit with Mama, make her some tea I think."

I nod and watch her go too. I didn't think my mother would stick around long. Effie is still confused and Cinna cocks his head to me. "I think you should tell her."

"I think I'm going to have to tell everyone what he did, just so they understand why he's going in. My real problem is would there be anyone else that we would send in?" I look at Peeta and Haymitch.

"I'll go back in, kill him myself if I have to." Haymitch volunteers quickly.

Peeta shakes his head, "No, I want to go in. There's no one you would choose, Haymitch? There are a lot of kids you don't like."

"That may be, but I wouldn't send them to their death either. I'm a drunk, not an idiot." He looks at me. "So, we know Gale's going in for sure and probably me and Peeta…"

"No, I want to go in too. Haymitch, you pick Gale and I will go in with Peeta. I can hunt and protect Peeta." I announce. I didn't know until just now that I would do so.

"No way, Katniss! Let Haymitch and me go in! We may not even have to be the ones who kill Gale; there will be so many others in there too. The people here wouldn't hate us as much for picking him." Peeta declares as I knew he would when I said I would go in. I put my hand over his and look him in the eye.

"The people here will understand why he's being sent in and wonder why I didn't turn him in while I had the chance. But I think that Haymitch should still be our mentor and we should go in. Haymitch doesn't know how to hunt and neither do you. You can't honestly say that you would ally with Gale just to get food, so this is the best way to do it. We go in with Gale and Haymitch gets us sponsors and parachutes. I won't argue with you about it. Either of you." I look at both of them an equally long time and they finally nod their heads.

Peeta gets up and says, "Well, then, we better start training. We need to be in the best shape possible and you need to start letting people know what happened to you. Don't hide here anymore and let your bruises show."

Effie starts to tap her high heeled foot on the tile. I forgot about her, as I tend to do often. In her oh-so-annoying voice, she reminds us, "I still don't know what's going on. What did Gale do that was so horrible?"

"He raped me, Effie, that's what is so horrible." I tell her and get up to go upstairs. I hear her choke back an apology as I get to the staircase and hear Cinna telling her to calm down. I also hear someone going into the cabinets and glasses being filled with something. No doubt Haymitch decided it was time to give everyone a shot of some liquor.

I'm not sleepy, but lay down across our bed when I hear Peeta come in. He sits down next to me and starts to rub my back. "Are you sure you want to go in? Haymitch could probably be better if he trained a little."

I turn my head to him, leaning my chin on my hands, "No, I want to go back in. It makes sense, we're young and we just did it. We'll probably have a ton of sponsors too just because they liked us so much during the first Games. Haymitch is too old and he never even told us how he won his set of Games."

"I don't think he likes to talk about it at all. I do know that his whole family was killed not long after he came back and his girlfriend too. Apparently, all the victors from District 12 have a way of pissing off the Capitol." He says with a small smile playing on his lips. "Effie said she's sorry. She seems really upset by the whole thing and thinks that Gale should be castrated for it."

"Well, we could make that happen, I'm sure." Not really, I don't want to get anywhere near that area of his body. Doesn't mean we can't plant the idea into someone else's head though. "How many victors do you think are still alive? None from the first few Games, I'm sure."

"I don't know, Haymitch and Cinna were trying to figure that out when I came up here. They were thinking at least fifty people. Could be more, or less, Haymitch says a lot of mentors end up doing worse than just drinking." He ponders this for a moment and then adds, "Course, even the older ones who are still alive are probably not in the best shape of their lives. Who knows, we may just get lucky that the older ones will die quickly without us having to do anything."

I don't like the idea of more dying for the Capitol, but he's right. Some of the older ones may not survive the first hour at all. I get up off of the bed and tell him, "I'm going to go back downstairs, let Effie know that I am doing a lot better and she shouldn't worry. Besides, I'm going to need her help in spreading the gossip in the Capitol."

"What gossip?"

"About what Gale did. She can let it get out quicker than we ever could and I'm more than sure that the other victors will hear about within the week." I wink at him and go back downstairs.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N- Sorry it's been so long. Getting back to work and getting the kids back onto a schedule is more time consuming than the vacation was :) Hopefully I will be able to write more now though.**

PPOV

So Katniss' idea of telling Effie to start letting everyone she knows what happened gets around really quick. She starts with the prep team and they let it 'slip' to Greasy Sae the morning they all leave. Just like wildfire, everyone in the Hob knows what Gale did within a day of that, as well as the customers who frequent it. When I go into town to the bakery, my brothers ask me if it's true. When I tell them yes, they both offer to take care of it, no questions asked.

"I already did, kind of. He was still drunk when I saw him. We have a plan, don't worry about it." I tell them nonchalantly.

"You're going to send him into that arena, aren't you?" My mother asks, coming out from the back. "I didn't think you had it in you, Peeta, to be honest."

"He hurt Katniss and that's all that matters to me. Whatever happens to him once we're in is all on him." I tell her. She's never liked Katniss, even now with all the money she has.

I hear her mumble under her breath, "She probably asked for it."

"Mother! You can't really mean that! No woman ever deserves that, I don't care what you think of her, I love her and that is all that should matter!" Her face pales, but she nods and leaves again.

"You're going back in too?" My brother, Barric, asks once she's gone. "Both of you?"

"Between the three of us, we could only choose one person who deserves to go in, so Katniss and I are going in again." I shrug my shoulders as I tell them this, pulling some cheese buns out from behind the counter. "I didn't bake today, so I'm just going to take a few for lunch."

Barric nods solemnly and I give him the money. He grabs my hand suddenly and shakes it. "You're a better man than you know, Peeta."

I nod at him and shake his hand back. I walk out with my brown paper bag and go home to Katniss. When I get there, I find her in the backyard, skinning a rabbit.

"You went hunting?" I ask her, staying far enough away while she works with the knife.

"Hardly, this one was right by the fence. I figured why go in if we had dinner right there. I probably will go tomorrow though. I need to get practice in." She has no idea how little she needs it, she's so good at hunting already.

"Speaking of practice, I had a thought." She puts the knife down and turns to me. She's wearing one of my aprons and the strings are wrapped around three times because of how small her waist is. Not in a bad way, in that womanly shape way.

"Yeah, what were you thinking?"

"Well, we know how hard it's probably going to be in there already, so I was thinking that maybe this time around, we could train?" I play with the bag in my hands. "Like the careers, they train their whole lives before they get called in. We could get ourselves strong for it, weightlifting, running, you can teach me how to shoot an arrow. Basic stuff really."

She ponders this and turns back to the rabbit. Two seconds later, she turns back around and says, "I could teach you how to shoot, but I don't know that I could teach you how to be quiet in the woods. Maybe if we get you new shoes, lighter ones?"

I nod my head; I remember how annoyed she was with me when we were hunting in the first Games. I had no idea I was so loud until she pointed it out to me. "I'll go back into town, want to come with me?"

"Sure, let me finish this up and get it in the fridge. What's in the bag?" She asks as she turns back to her task.

"Cheese buns, I didn't bake this morning and I know how much you like them." I see her hand stop moving and know she's smiling even though she's facing away from me. "I'll go put them inside and wait for you in the painting room."

As I walk away, she yells, "I love you, Peeta Mellark!" And then it's me smiling as I walk into our house.

I'm just finishing up a painting I had started a few days ago when Katniss comes in. She wraps her hands around my middle, trying not to get in the way of my arms. She puts her chin on my shoulder, looking at what I'm painting.

"Wow, Peeta, you never cease to amaze me with the way you paint the sky over the forest and mountains. I love how you use the colors." She says her breath hot against my neck.

I shrug, "It's just the sky. Sunset is my favorite time of day, but it can look so different depending on what's happening."

"Well, it's looks beautiful all the same." She kisses my neck. "Are you ready to go?"

I step back, feeling her step back with me and look at my new painting. I nod and reply, "Yeah, let me wash my hands and then we can go."

She lets me go and I pull together all my brushes and paint tablet. Going into the bathroom across the hall, I rinse everything and put them on a well worn towel to dry and wash my hands. Katniss is waiting in the kitchen, picking at a cheese bun. I smile at her and she smiles right back. She seems to be in a much better mood since Effie got her 'rumor' out. I grab her hand and we walk out the door towards town.

As we're walking, I bring Katniss' hand up to my mouth and kiss the back of it. "You seem like you're doing much better."

"You know, I thought I'd be embarrassed by what happened once Effie got it around, but everyone that I've run into keeps telling me what a jerk Gale is and how they wouldn't blame me at all if I send him into the arena. There have also been a few women, who have told me that they've been raped too, not by him or anything, just other men who've done it. I didn't realize how often it happens." She says in a rush. I never did tell her about the girl my brothers knew. She stops walking, effectively making me stop and when I look at her, her face is sad but there's a small smile on her lips as well. "I don't think I ever thanked you for doing what you did."

I pull her into my arms and whisper, "You never had to, he deserves whatever happens to him. It should never have happened anyway."

She hugs me back and I feel her lips on my neck, "I love you Peeta and no matter what happens in that arena, always know that."

We just stand there, in the middle of the road between Victor's Village and the town. A few people pass us by, but no one says anything, or not that I hear anyway. After a few minutes, she's pulls back and we begin our way to the shoe store to find me some lighter leather boots.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N - Sorry for the short chapter. Sick toddlers are never any fun and ruin the thought process. Hopefully the next will be longer.**

KPOV

After we find Peeta his new boots, we head back home so I can start making dinner and he gets the table set. I'm feeling the best I've felt in the almost two weeks since the Gale incident and I think Peeta can tell. I'm touching him a little more and getting back into my normal routine with him. I didn't hunt at all that whole first week, afraid that I would run into Gale, even though he would most likely be at work. The first day I went back in, I made sure Peeta was with me and almost regretted it because he's so loud. Tomorrow will be his first day wearing the new boots and hopefully I can teach him something. Then he wants to get started with push-ups and sit-ups, get us toned for the next arena. He really wants Haymitch to be part of it too, even though we know he's going to be the one who sends Gale in. So far everyone I've talked to assumes that I will put Gale's name in, but you know what they say about assuming.

I'm feeling so much more like myself that when I lean in to give Peeta a kiss randomly, I feel the tug in the bottom of my stomach and end up sliding my tongue into his mouth. He pulls back and looks at me, eyes wide.

"What are you doing?" He asks me, his hands still on my waist. I shrug my shoulders.

"I wanted to kiss you." He looks at me again, scrunching his eyebrows together, not sure about my answer. "No, really, I'm feeling really good and I wanted to kiss you. Well, to be honest, I want to more than kiss, but I don't know that I'm physically ready to."

Peeta's mouth drops open into an 'O' and I giggle lightly, pushing his jaw closed with my finger. "My mom is going to check me out tomorrow and we'll find out then. Will you come with me she does?"

"Uh…yeah..sure. I'll be right back." He drops his hands and walks away. I hear him go upstairs and hear the bathroom door close and the shower start. I guess I really surprised him and evidentially excited him too. I giggle at the thought of making him take a cold shower.

I surprised myself too. I figured I wouldn't want to be touched for a long time, but this is Peeta and he would never hurt me, not like that. Just being near him makes me feel better and he doesn't ask me questions about what happened, even when I've woken him up after thrashing about from a nightmare. He hasn't asked once and though I'm glad he doesn't I also wonder why he doesn't. I would be too curious I think, though I would never push. Maybe that's what he's thinking too. In his arms, I'm safe, always safe. It's when I'm away from him that bad things seem to happen.

I get back to slicing some bread from yesterday and set it on the table, along with some butter made from Prim's goat. After about ten minutes, Peeta comes back down and takes a seat. I look at him and smile.

"Are you okay?" I really have to stifle the giggle that wants to come out. He shoots me a dirty look.

"I think you know why I had to take a shower, but I am better now, thank you." He starts fiddling with his hands. In a lower voice he asks, "Are you sure you're going to be ready, even if your mom says it's okay?"

I wasn't expecting him to ask me this. I spoon some of the potatoes and rabbit onto a plate and get the next plate ready. "I don't know really. I figure we'll just take it really slow and if I can't, then we stop. Will that be okay?"

"Of course. I don't want you to feel like you would have to keep going just because of me. That's why cold showers exist, right?" The corner of his mouth rises a little in a half smile. I set both plates down and sit down myself.

"Well, yeah, true. I do know that I feel fine just kissing right now, so that may be all that happens, I don't know. It's not like we've been through something like this and I didn't ask any of the women who told me that they'd been through the same thing. How would you even ask anyway?" I ask, thinking about if there really is an appropriate answer.

"I'm so not the right person to direct that question to." Peeta answers, his blue eyes still wide though for different reasons now.

I shake my head, "I know, it's rhetorical really. Though from what I was hearing, I don't think all of them had any choice but to just get back into bed with their husbands." I look down at my food, suddenly not really wanting any of it. "Do you know how many men force themselves on their wives and the wives don't even think it's a bad thing?"

Peeta takes a hard swallow of the food that's in his mouth. "No, but I'd heard that some women think that it's supposed to be like that. Like they really have no say in what happens under their own roof, in their own bed. I don't care if they are married, if your wife doesn't want to, then let it be."

I push the food around my plate some more. Peeta is gentle, kind, and better than any man I have ever known, well, except maybe my father, but he would have really liked Peeta. "You're such a good man, Peeta, you really are."

"Not so good that I think Gale shouldn't go into the arena though." He says, still eating.

"Yeah, but no one has ever deserved it so much. Honestly, if they would do that, send all the really bad people in there instead of innocent children, then we'd all be better off." I feel the anger rising in my blood, but don't want it to. "I wonder why they don't do that. I mean, it seems a more appropriate punishment than whatever the peacekeepers do."

"If only the Capitol thought like that."

"Yeah, if only."


	13. Chapter 13

PPOV

Katniss never ceases to amaze me. Kissing me like that so soon. At least I think it's too soon. She's right though, there's no one who would really be able to give us a real answer to that question because a lot of the women she probably talked to are forced to have sex with their husbands. It makes me even madder that men think its right to think this way. I need to find some way to make every man understand that forcing anyone to do anything they don't want to do is just plain out wrong. Course, that would work for the Games too and no one's stopped them after so many decades.

We finish our dinner and I notice she barely ate. She may not be feeling quite as normal as she thought. Though our topic of conversation wasn't all that happy either. I wash the dishes and she goes upstairs to soak in the bath. As much as I want to go upstairs, I won't. And now I've told her that I will go with her to her check-up with her mother. I hope she says everything is okay, but at the same time scared that she will. I think I'm more scared for Katniss because I don't think she's as ready as she thinks she is. I'm fine with waiting, hell I waited for over ten years; a few more weeks won't make a difference. Though, we'll be leaving for the next arena in two months. As long as I get to spend everyday with her until we have to get on those damn platforms, I'm fine.

Just as I'm finishing cleaning the stove, Katniss walks into the kitchen in a light nightgown. She looks beautiful as always, hair still wet, but she hasn't braided it yet and the natural waves are taking over.

"Hi, Baby. Did you have a nice bath?" I ask her as she sits at the table.

"Ah-ha. Peeta, if what had happened to me didn't happen, would you have been able to choose anyone to go into the arena?" She asks in a small voice.

I turn to her, putting the rag down. She's serious, there's no doubt about that. "I hadn't thought about it really. Why?"

"Well, what if we did send in three rapists instead of going in ourselves? Like I was saying earlier, what if they sent in the bad people instead of kids?" She has her hands out in front of her on the table, playing with the edges of a placemat.

"I think that Panem would get a good show. You know if the bad people you're talking about don't care about doing bad things to some people, they probably aren't going to mind if they have to kill to survive. But do you want to do that? And how would we get the word to other districts to go along with it?" I sit down across from her. "And even if we managed it, do you think Snow would let it happen?"

She puts her head down, shaking it. "Probably not. He'd make it so some victors would have to go back in and probably more specifically us."

I grab her twitching hand and smooth out her fingers. "Well, we can bring it up to Haymitch; see what he says about the idea. It couldn't hurt to try."

She nods her head but is at least looking at me with those gray eyes. "But do you think it's even a good idea?"

"It's a great idea, Katniss. I just hope we're not the only ones who think so." I stand up, walk to her side of the table and hold out my hand for hers. "Now let's go to bed."

She gets up and follows me up the stairs to our room.

The next morning Katniss decides to show me how to shoot. She has given me a bow and quiver of arrows. Apparently she's had a set in the closet in case she ever needed a second set. She has me hit a couple of targets in the backyard and I do pretty well, at least I think so. Seven out of ten loaves of bread on the ground, with arrows having sliced right through them. The new boots are really comfortable and I wonder out loud why I hadn't worn them before.

"Because you never had to go hunting. Now keep quiet and just follow what I do and if you do have a question, whisper please." Her tone is serious but not demeaning. Katniss only wants me to learn in order to survive should we get separated.

I just nod my head and step where she steps. How she knows where to step, I have no idea, but she manages to never crack a twig. I on the other hand, even though I thought I was following her step for step, manage to hit on every little twig on the forest floor. She never says anything, but shoots me a dirty look every fifth step or so. I finally give up and stop moving altogether. When she hasn't noticed any sound on my end, she turns slowly with a smile, thinking that I'm right behind her. She frowns when she sees that I've stopped.

"What are you doing?" She asks me in more then a whisper but still lower than normal.

I shake my head at her, "No matter where I step, I step on something and make noise. I think maybe you should just show me how to shoot correctly."

"What's the point of that when you'll scare everything away? Peeta, you just need to step lighter. I thought it was the boots, but I think you just have a heavier tread is all." She is frustrated with me but is trying to be nice about it. If I was teaching her, she'd probably get the hang of it right away. "Try to walk like your tiptoeing around, just not on your actual toes."

I snort and she gives me a look and says, "Just try it. It can't hurt to at least try."

"Fine." I really thought I would somehow be better at this, but I'm sadly not. I'm sure her father was quiet in the woods and though I hate to admit it, Gale is probably really quiet too. How else would they have been able to hunt together?

I take careful steps, actually thinking about taking the careful steps. This can't be how this is supposed to go, is it? Katniss doesn't seem to be really thinking about where's she's stepping, though she is walking slowly and looking around as we go. Maybe that's what I need to do, take super slow steps. I don't watch where I'm going, so much as how I step. Slow seems to be quiet and its working.

I do as Katniss and look around for game. And then I spot a deer. Katniss must see it at the same time because she stops right in front of me. She nods her head, essentially telling me to take a shot. I haven't even practiced shooting at anything live before! I shake my head and she glares at me. I lift the bow she gave me, with the arrow ready to go. I pull back on the string, straining my arm and trying to keep it tight. I release the arrow and it hits straight into the deer's side. Katniss quickly runs to it and slashes its throat before it even has a chance of knowing what happened. I killed my first deer on my first try! Is that supposed to happen?

"Great job, Peeta! Your first kill and it's a doe! That should feed a few people!" She exclaims happily. She starts to gut it and talks me through how it should be done and why it has to be done quickly. "It's basically the same with all furry animals, birds are obviously different because of the feathers, but it's easier when done quickly."

I have to hold back a gag. I know she does this all the time, but I've never really watched and am totally fine admitting that I'd rather be baking.

She laughs and tells me, "Well, there's probably a reason why we do what we do so well."

After bagging up the doe parts, we walk back to the house and get cleaned up. We'll see her mother after we take the kill to Greasy Sae. Katniss wants to tell everyone how well I did, while I really could care less. Yes, I'm happy that I finally got through the woods without crunching on everything in my path and yes, I'm proud that I killed something so big on my first outing, but I'm more anxious to see her mother and what she'll say. I still don't know that I'm ready for Katniss to be ready. It doesn't seem like enough time has passed and though the last few nights have been virtually nightmare free, I'm afraid for her. I guess we'll see though.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N - Sorry it's been awhile, I've been working on another story and that one is my new baby. Crossover between Hunger Games and Fifty Shades of Grey. I hope the next chapter will be done by the end of the week!**

KPOV

I'm so proud of Peeta and he's acting like it doesn't matter. I don't know what's going on with him and he's been a little weird since I kissed him last night. I wonder if that's the problem. I want to be with him again, I think I'm ready. I think. My body is healed and I feel safe and comfortable in his arms at night. That's part of the healing, right? I don't even know who to ask. My mother can only give me the physical aspect of it, not the emotional part of it. It doesn't matter, I want to be with my boyfriend and that's all that should matter. He'll stop if I ask him to, I know him well enough to be sure of that.

We give Greasy Sae the deer and she is excited to have so much to work with. I look around a bit and wander over to a booth that has some pretty ribbons on display. I buy three different sets of colors for Prim. She always likes having ribbon to hold her braids together and now I have the money to get them for her. I'm looking at some spices when Peeta comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my middle.

"Ready to go see your mother?" He asks me, resting his chin on my shoulder.

I turn my head and give him and peck on the cheek, "Yes, let's go."

When we get to my mother's house, she looks at Peeta and then me, "Do you want him to be in the room with you?"

"Why not, he's seen everything you have?" I ask, not meaning it to sound so crass. She squints her eyes at me, but when I give her a meek smile, she lets it go.

"Okay then. We'll go into my bedroom; I'll need you to lie back again." She informs me as she grabs a couple of things from her bag.

Her room was my room until I officially moved in with Peeta. I take off my pants and underwear and lie back like she told me to. She has her serious professional face on when she looks between my legs. It feels weird, having my mother down there. I've had one actual doctor down there, before the Games, the prep team to rid me of my hair, of course Peeta has been there plenty of times, though he's the only person I ever want to touch me there. I feel her open me, poking, so alien and yet not at the same time.

"Everything has healed, no major damage done, thank God. You are good Katniss; you can get dressed and go home." She informs me, pulling her head away from me. I sit up and Peeta hands me my underwear and pants. He doesn't seem excited at all, though my mother is still in the room. What's with him?

"Well, we'll see you tomorrow for dinner?" He asks my mother. She nods and leaves the room. Even with all that she's seen, I don't think she wanted to be the one to have to check me.

I get up after having slid everything back on. "Ready to go home and celebrate a day gone well?"

He nods no smile though. You'd think he'd be happier after having shot down a doe and hearing that I'm okay. We leave the house quietly and go into ours. He goes straight into his painting room. Alright, I guess I'll work on the laundry then.

I start upstairs, pulling our sheets off. I forget how big the bed until I have to take the sheets off, their huge. I'm draped across the bed, trying to undo a corner when I hear Peeta's footsteps. I stay like that until I hear him stop and listen to him laugh.

"Do you need help?" He says with a chuckle.

I roll over and just flash him what I think is my sexy smile. He smiles back but just walks over to the other side and untucks the sheet. He kind of whips it at me and I catch it.

"Are you okay?" I finally ask him, because this just isn't like him. Usually he's a little moody when I'm on my period because I don't feel comfortable making love while I'm bleeding, but this is just odd.

"Yeah, fine, why?" He says nonchalantly, pulling off the pillowcases.

"Well, I just figured that since my mom said I was okay, we could at least try. I'm ready, Peeta, I am." I tell him, getting up on my knees in front of him on the bed.

He runs his hands in his hair, closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. When he opens them, his eyes are a brilliant blue, as they always are. "I don't know if I'm ready though. You say you're ready, but what if I touch you and you start freaking out? What if it reminds you about what happened?"

I take his hands in mine. "Peeta, you know that I've never had anything but good times with you. It's so different; we love each other and I know if I freak out, you'll stop and you'll hold me until I calm down again. I know you, Peeta Mellark, and you would never hurt me on purpose."

"I don't think he meant to either though. I think that he really was drunk and that he let the jealousy and anger get the best of him and he did what he did out of that." He admits and I wonder how long he's thought that.

"Maybe he didn't, but he also didn't stop. If he didn't mean to hurt me, he would have gotten off of me as soon as he hit me." I tell him. Peeta shakes his head.

"I just don't know. I want to, but I'm just scared of how you'll feel about having sex again." He's so good, only thinking about how I'll react and I never thought to how he would feel about it. Why do I never think of him the way he thinks of me?

"It's not just sex Peeta, it never has been since we've been together, and you know that. I love you and you love me, it's that simple. I said we could try it, if it doesn't work, if it doesn't feel right, we'll stop. I know you will stop if I tell you to." I try to reassure him. He shakes his head again and I take it in my hands, stopping him with a kiss.

At first he seems to want to pull away, probably thinking of me again. Then his hands finally wrap around my waist and the kiss deepens as it usually does. I love kissing him, so gentle and firm at the same time. Tender and hot, that's my Peeta. I feel the heat in my belly that only he has ever started and know that we will be fine. I tangle my fingers in his hair and he lets me, rubbing circles on my back. He pulls away, while we catch our breath and then looks at me as if asking permission.

"It's okay Peeta; it's me and you, always me and you, only me and you." I tell him. I want him, I love him, and it's only ever been him.

I pull him onto the bed, but he slides right off, taking his shoes and socks off. That makes sense and I smile at him. He doesn't take anymore off though and I can tell it's going to be sweet and slow, which is fine by me.

"I love you, Peeta." I say, climbing on top of him and looking into those baby blue eyes.

"I love you too, Katniss." He replies and I kiss him again with all my heart and soul behind it.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N - Warning, love scene ahead! And yes, it's a sexy love.**

PPOV

I look up at Katniss, her hair is still up in its braid, and so I reach behind her back and undo the tie from it. She takes the very unsubtle hint and undoes the rest of it. She fans it out so her dark mane is covering her shoulders and down the front of her chest. She leans down and kisses me again, her hands resting on my chest so she doesn't completely fall on me. I'll let her set the pace; this is all about her, not me. I still think she needs more time, but she keeps insisting that she's ready and I'm horrible at saying no to her. That's a sad excuse if ever I were to have one, but it's true nonetheless.

She pulls up, looking at me, seemingly irritated. "Peeta, are you going to touch me at all?"

"I'm sorry, yes, I am. Why is it such a big deal, shouldn't we just let it happen like it did the first time? Naturally?" I answer back. Why is she rushing this?

She blinks, opens her mouth, closes it, opens it again, and then shuts it. She whips her leg over and slides off of me. Great, no matter what my head might be thinking, my penis doesn't care because she was on top of me all warm and sexy and now she's not.

"Dammit Peeta, why can't you believe me when I say I'm ready?" She yells frustrated and one look at her tells me she'd kick me if she could.

I sit up and look straight into her eyes. I keep my voice steady and calm. "Because even though you may be physically ready, I don't think you are emotionally ready. Think about it, this is the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to you from someone you know. Yea, we've been starved, we've been stung and burned and cut. Hell, we've even killed strangers, but nothing like this has ever happened before and I don't think you're ready."

She shakes her head and I see the tears welling up in her eyes. "But I am ready, Peeta. I can feel it right here, I'm ready." She claims, touching her belly.

I don't know what her stomach has to do with it really at first but as I think about it, yes I do. I always get this feeling of butterflies then a heat that I can't explain when I'm turned on and anxious and excited by Katniss. For some reason, I always thought that it would be different for her. Well, for any girl really because they are so different from guys. Maybe not so different after all though.

I take her hands in mine, "Alright, we'll try, but maybe not right now. Can we maybe just lie down and just do nothing?"

She looks at me quizzically, "Nothing?"

"Just lay down with me, cuddle?" I ask her and her smile slowly returns. I lay down and she quickly lays her head on my chest. "I did hear what you said about it being just you and me and I love that, but I just worry about you."

She nods against my chest, gripping my hand in hers. "I know. You're always such a good person, Peeta. You're much better a person than me."

I shake my head, why does she always think that? "Katniss, please, we've been through that a thousand times already. You're a good person too. I can't remember anyone volunteering for their little sister or brother before or risking their life to save someone else's. Katniss you are good and I hate that you don't ever seem to see that."

I can feel the warm tears through my shirt and I know she's trying to be quiet as she cries. We go through this so often. She always feels bad about my leg, about me getting hit by my mother when I gave her the bread so long ago, about not being nicer to her own mother. She always feels guilty about things and she shouldn't. I kiss the top of her head and she nuzzles in closer to me. This feels more like us, being close to sleep and talking.

"Katniss?" I say after a few minutes, her breathing has slowed and she's getting heavier on me.

"Hmmm?" She replies, turning her head towards me to look at me. She seems drowsy enough that she could fall asleep.

"Why did you do it? Why did you risk your own life to get that medicine?" I know the answer, but like to hear her tell me every once in awhile.

She shakes her head and smiles. "Why do you ask me the same questions?"

I shrug. "Just like hearing you tell me I guess."

She laughs and I kiss her forehead, smiling with her. She lifts her head a bit more and raises her mouth to mine. I don't hesitate in kissing her. This is right, how we are at this moment with each other. Within seconds, my body is craving her like it always seems to. I roll over, her underneath me and looking more beautiful with her hair surrounding her like a dark angelic halo. I kiss her again and it deepens quickly. I feel like I've been ignited by her, I always do and I always want more.

I pull back, putting one hand on her face while the other is bent, resting next to her. I just look at her, those gray eyes that darken only for me, when she wants me just as much as I want her. Her lips twitch a little into a small smile, she hates being looked at for too long and I know she knows I watch her sleep sometimes, I can't help it, and she's so beautiful.

I lean back down and let my body take over as it's wanted to for the last few days. I just had to be sure, and her being so confident is what is making me sure. I want to melt into her body but I need to be slow, careful, and tender. When I kiss her again, I let my hand wander down her face, to her neck and down her side. She moans and I know I'm on the right track. Her hands go into my hair and she tugs gently, her tongue exploring my mouth. I move my tongue against hers and we seem to wrestle for a moment until I win and she has to pull back, catching her breath.

I kiss her nose, then her cheeks, her chin and when she arches, I nibble on her neck. She's ticklish there, so she scrunches up her shoulders and I go to her ear and nibble on that instead. She sucks in a breath and I quickly move my mouth back to hers. She's becoming tense and melting at the same time and I know that she is truly ready. I kneel up, practically ripping off my shirt and she sits up the best she can beneath me to take hers off as well. I shake my head at her and she undoes her bra quickly, throwing it into the laundry pile on the floor. She's so beautiful! Lips rosy red and slightly swollen from the kissing, cheeks and the top of her chest flushed from desire and she's looking at me like I'm what she needs in order to survive.

She holds her arms out and I fall back into them, kissing her and moving my hands up and down her sides, drawing circles there. She moans my name slowly and I take my kisses downwards to her neck and beyond. I get to her perky rosebud nipples and take one slowly into my mouth while my fingers work the other. She arches her back, forcing more to me but pushing on my shoulders to keep going down. I smile against her skin and work my way down her flat belly. When I get to the top of her pants, I undo the button and zipper and have to kneel back up again to yank them off, making sure I have her panties in my grip as well. She squirms a bit, because I have to look at her again and admire the goddess in front of me.

"Peeta, please." She begs me and I have to get up to take off my pants and boxers. I'm just glad I'm so much better at this with my fake leg because it was awkward the first few times. I guess she decides its time to look at me, because she makes sure she eyes me up and down, lingering on the lower part of my body which is at full attention.

I climb back onto our bed and she opens her legs for me. I'm not ready to give in just yet though, I want to test her, feel how ready she is for me. I run my hand down her thigh and back up, feeling it quiver beneath my fingers. Then I move my hand to her center and carefully slide a finger in. She lets out a raspy breath and pulls my head to hers to kiss me. She is very much ready for me, but I like the feel of her wetness, so I slide another finger in. Her hips rise to meet my hand as I start up a slow rhythm and I smile into her kisses.

"Peeta, please, please." She begs again and I withdraw my fingers and place myself at her entrance.

I look at her again silently asking permission. She nods her head and I push in slowly. She winces and I stop, letting her get reaccommodated with me. She nods her head again when she's ready and I push in more, until I am all the way in. I stop again, letting her get used to me some more. Once a minute has passed, I start to move my hips against hers and we easily find a flow that suits us. Because it's been so long, I know I won't be able to contain myself much longer and her moans aren't helping me much. I start to go faster and she's got her hands around my back, gripping my shoulders, holding me close to her.

"Yes, Peeta! Yes!" She yells right into my ear and I can't hold on anymore, spilling myself into her and feeling her release right after.

I collapse onto her, a sweaty mess, but I know she doesn't care. Our legs are tangled and she's now drawing circles on my back lazily. I raise my head and look at her eyes.

"That was great." I say to her and feel her laughter as I roll us over and pull the blanket up around us. With such a tiring morning and afternoon, I don't think it takes us long to fall asleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N - Sorry it's a short one, it's been a busy few weeks around here and I'm doing three stories at once. As always, I do not own Hunger Games, the incredible Ms. Collins does.**

KPOV

When I wake up, it's to the smells of sweat, sex, and sweetness. I smile, stretching my body and loving how good I feel. I roll over and since Peeta's not in bed; I know where he is and get dressed quickly to see what he's baking now. I inhale deeply as I make my way down the stairs, knowing something delicious is cooking in there.

I round the corner, finding Peeta bent over a cake, putting flowers on it. Ooo, he almost never bakes a cake at home, he usually does that at the bakery where he has more tools and space to use. He looks up as I come closer, a smile on his face and icing in his hair. I smile back and sit down in front of the cake, but opposite him.

"You made a cake?" I ask, eyeing it; the flowers are so pretty, I'd hate to eat it but will love it at the same time.

"Yeah, you fell asleep really quickly and when I woke up, you were just out, so I came down and made this." He answers, nodding to it. "It's chocolate of course; I know how much you like your chocolate."

I nod, "Especially when it's in cake form!"

He laughs and then puts his head down to continue making flowers. I get back up and get something to drink. "Did you have anything in mind for dinner?"

Without looking up, Peeta replies, "Not really. I just started making this, didn't think about dinner really. It's not like this couldn't be our dinner."

I nod my head, thinking it over. This is one of the good parts of being with a baker; you can eat sweet things any time you want. "I'm fine with that."

I take my seat back at the table, making circles on the glass. "Have you thought anymore about the Quarter Quell?"

His hands stop what they're doing and he takes a moment before looking up at me. "Not really. I think we should just stick with what we were going to do originally. Haymitch volunteers Gale and we go in as well."

"Do you think anyone else will volunteer someone other than themselves?" I take a slow sip of my milk, watching Peeta's face. He frowns and shakes his head.

"I think that since most of the Victors are from Districts 1 and 2, no. They're so proud to be sent in all the time that I think they'll do it again just to prove themselves and show off."

I nod my head in agreement. He has a point, why would someone who considers themselves a star of sorts give that light to someone less worthy? "But not every Victor is from those districts."

He has started up on the flowers again, and then pulls back, looking at his work. He doesn't look at me while he talks though, just keeps turning the cake, making sure every flower is perfect. "True, but that probably makes it even sweeter for those that aren't. Let's face it, Katniss; most Victors are practically bred for this from the time they can walk."

Peeta looks me straight in the eyes. "It still surprises me sometimes that we made it out. I knew you would because I don't think you would even know how to give up, but I didn't think I was going to make it until you found me and even then I thought I'd still die from that damn cut that Cato gave me."

I nod again. Peeta's right, he usually is. Sometimes I don't even know how I did it, survived. Of course I know how to hunt and pick the right kind of plants to eat, but really, food is not so easy to come by in those Games and I've seen it on screen and in real life.

"Well, then, I guess we better do some more hunting tomorrow, or at least take you out to practice on your aim and then we can work out. What did you have in mind anyway?" I ask him. I never had to work out before, they had us train of course before the Games, but everything that I know how to do has nothing to do with that. It all comes naturally, including the way I can shimmy up a tree if need be. "Are you opposed to climbing into a tree, Peeta?"

His blue eyes widen with that question. He starts to shake his head. "Katniss, I've never climbed a tree before and I'm pretty sure that with my bad leg and all, that I won't make it very far."

"But you have a lot of upper arm strength and that helps a lot too." He shakes his head again, making his curls sway this way and that. "Oh c'mon, Peeta! I'll pick an easy tree and you can at least try it! Please? Please, Peeta, at least try?"

He squints his eyes at me and I know I've won this little round. He has yet to say to me when I ask nicely. "Fine, I'll try it. But if I fall and break something, it's on you!"

I laugh and get up to go around the table and hug him. "Good, that's what I wanted to hear. So, when's dinner, anyway?"


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N - I do apologize for the delay. I had this thought come to me randomly and wrote it as soon as possible. Hopefully the next chapter will come just as randomly and just as good. **

PPOV

I can't believe I let her talk me into this. Yeah, sure it took a couple of days to really talk me into it, but here I am. I'm in a damn tree, realizing a little late that I don't much like heights. When we climbed the cornucopia, it was quick and we were running and climbing to save our lives. Now I'm up in a tree high enough that I know I'd break something if I fell. Why did I let her talk me into this? She says it's to have another skill that some may not have. I'm not sure if I believe this or not.

I look up at her; she's another fifteen feet above me. How is that supposed to help me? Watching my girlfriend, the love of my life, so high up in a tree that she'd be a bird if I didn't know any better.

"Katniss! Are we done yet?!" I call up to her. I dread going back down, but I sure as hell don't want to stay up here either. Instead of hearing her voice, I hear another, deeper one.

"What the hell are you two doing up there?" Haymitch calls up. It's then that he sees the look of sheer terror on my face. "Haha! Afraid of heights, are we, Boy?"

"Shut up!" I shoot a glance at him and then look straight back up, closing my eyes. Don't look down, don't look down. All of a sudden, I feel Katniss' hand on my shoulder. I turn and look at her. She's on a branch just below me, but on the other side.

"Peeta, are you afraid?" Her voice is filled with concern and her gray eyes go wide when I shakily nod my head. "Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have made you do this had I known."

"Because I didn't know!" I yell out, exasperated.

She nods her head and takes a look down. She gazes back up at me. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. You're going to follow my steps exactly, just like when we were hunting. Keep your eyes on my feet, nothing else. You'll be holding onto the tree the entire time."

I start to shake my head, "No. Nope, I don't think that'll work. Just go get a ladder or something, I'll wait here."

Katniss tries to not laugh at me, but a giggle passes anyway. "Peeta, we're up too high for a ladder. Just follow me and you'll be fine."

"Yeah, that makes me feel better. I'm fine, just bring me some food." I tell her, gripping the thick tree branch underneath me harder.

She doesn't suppress her laughter this time and now Haymitch has joined in. "Haymitch! Shut up! I don't see you climbing trees or learning how to walk quietly or hunt!"

"Peeta, you will follow me right now!" Great, now she's just mad at me.

I look down at her and her eyes are blazing heat. I shut my mouth and swallow hard. "I better not fall and die."

"You will not fall and die." She tells me through gritted teeth.

"At least not die!" Haymitch calls up. I hear rather than see something get thrown at him. "Oww, dammit, Katniss! You and your aim! Fine, I'll see you two later then!"

He stalks off and it's just me and Katniss again. I look at her and she's watching me. She puts her hand on my shoulder again. "Really, Peeta, do you think I'd let you get hurt doing this?"

"No, I guess not." I take a deep breath and then a second and a third. "Okay, start going down."

"Are you okay?" She asks, making sure I guess.

"Not really, but you're not giving me a choice either." I answer her as calmly as I can. She gives me a dirty look, but for once, I don't care.

In a serious tone and now I know I'm in trouble because of it, she says, "Fine, follow me."

I watch her as she takes her first step down and do the same on my side. She takes it slow, keeping her eyes on me when I wish she would watch where her feet were going instead. I have a feeling that she's been in this tree a few times though. When she gets low enough, she jumps down and waits at the bottom, her arms crossed over her chest as she waits for me. Now I'm really not sure. I know I'll have to jump, but will I hurt my artificial leg when I land?

"If it makes it easier, you can hang from that branch and then drop yourself, it won't be as far." She suggests, glancing at something in the distance.

What the hell. I jump and land awkwardly because of my leg. She kneels down quickly though, "Are you okay? I'm sorry! I didn't know you'd be afraid of heights! You were fine on the rooftop in the Capitol!"

I had forgotten about that. But then I also remember that there was a force field around it to prevent anyone from falling off. Doesn't matter though, I climbed a tree and now I'm done with it. I stand up straight and wipe the leaves and dirt off my pants. "Let's just go home."

"Okay." Her voice is quiet and I know she feels guilty for having made me do that. But if I didn't know, how would she have?

I take her hand in mine, I don't want to be mad at her for this, and it wasn't her fault. It was probably something my brothers did to me when I was little and now I have this fear of heights. I kiss the back of her palm and she smiles. "We'll go home and never talk about this again, deal?"

She giggles, nodding her head. "Deal."

* * *

A few days later, Katniss and I are doing push-ups in the backyard while Haymitch calls out numbers. He was supposed to be keeping count for us, but given that he has a bottle in his hand at the moment, he trailed off around thirty. Luckily, I've been keeping count, trying not to look at Katniss as her breasts are dangling even though she has a bra on. I wish they were dangling over me in bed or in the living room, or out here, without Haymitch around of course.

"Seventy-five." She calls out and I'm snapped back into attention. She gives me a knowing grin and I sheepishly smile back at her.

I mumble out, "Sorry."

"What are you two going on about?" Haymitch cries out, waving the bottle around. "What's after this?"

"Just a lap into town and back. Then we're done." Katniss tells him as we finish the last of our push-ups. I see Haymitch nod his head and wonder how someone can drink so much all the time. He still won't tell us what he did to make it back home from his Quarter Quell. I tried asking him once we got back and he told me to not worry about it.

Knowing that Haymitch will stay behind and continue drinking, once Katniss and I are out of earshot, I ask her.

"Has Haymitch ever told you how he won?"

We're keeping a steady pace, so she answers quickly. "No, but I asked my mom since they're the same age."

"I forgot about that. I should ask my dad then." I say, wondering why he's never mentioned it to me now.

"I wouldn't. Turns out that one of the girls who went with him was my mother's best friend and Madge's aunt. It was a tough time for everyone but Mother did say that Haymitch's family was killed a few weeks later." Katniss answers, trying to keep her voice low.

Well, I wasn't expecting that. "Your mother knew one of the tributes?"

"Yes, she said that after she died, my father and she started spending more time together. I think that was around the same time that your father was trying to get her attention." She drops, turning a corner into town.

I nod, I had forgotten about that too. Her mother chose her father over mine. Which is a good thing now, but I'm sure my father wasn't too happy about it at the time. I don't continue the conversation for the rest of the run and Katniss doesn't bring it back up either. When we get back to the house, Haymitch is lying on the grass, snoring loudly with the bottle in his hand.

"Should we wake him up?" I ask Katniss.

Shaking her head. "Nah, leave him here. It looks like it's going to rain anyway."

That'll be a fun thing to hear once he gets wet. Just then, a crack of thunder and a flash of lightening brighten the darkening sky. Haymitch jumps up quickly, waving the bottle around as if it's his weapon. Katniss and I are smart enough to not be near enough to him but step further away.

"What the hell!?" He looks around, figuring out where he's at. He stands up, falling to the side once before walking over to his house, not saying another word to us.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N – As this Quarter Quell is different from the original storyline, the reaping will also be different. And to IDONTLIKEUSERNAMES, who said anything about death? I said the Karma would play into this story ;) As always, all rights belong to Ms. Collins.**

KPOV

We've been training for two weeks and now it's time for the official reaping. Effie informed us that no one has let her know if any other Victors were sending in criminals of any sort. She was pretty sure most Victors would go in themselves, just to prove how good they really were and why they won the first time around. Would this mean that we would be the only ones calling out for some kind of vengeance? We couldn't possibly be the only Victors who had been part of some form of attack. Even Haymitch's family and girlfriend had been killed twenty-five years ago.

As we wait in our roped off pens, Haymitch and Peeta on one side, myself in another, I wonder what would happen if Haymitch wasn't about to say Gale's name. No, he deserves what he gets, whatever that may be, even if he dies five minutes into the Quarter Quell, but how would Haymitch, Peeta and I all come out of the Games alive if all of us were to go in? I would be spending all my energy on making sure Peeta comes home and no doubt he would be doing the same for me, because that's just who he is. Haymitch likes Peeta more than me, I think anyway, so he'd be spending his time making sure Peeta is safe as well. No one will be making sure Gale comes out alive, not after what they've heard.

Effie comes up to her spot on stage. She is wearing her pink fluffy wig and almost matching outfit that I can't imagine is comfortable. "Welcome, welcome everyone! For this year's Quarter Quell, things have been changed up a bit and the victors may choose someone else to go in their stead. Up first, Katniss Everdeen, whom have you chosen?"

"I volunteer myself." I say simply but loud enough for everyone to hear me. No need for anything else. I look over at Peeta and Haymitch, nodding my head at both of them. Peeta nods back and Haymitch gives me a stern look.

"Well, alright then, come up here, Miss Everdeen." Effie instructs me. I walk up to the front with her, not even looking back as I can already hear Prim sniffling. When I turn to face all of District 12, I don't really look at them at all, trying to block them out of my mind. At least this time I know what I'm doing. I think. "Alright, age before beauty, Mr. Abernathy, who will you be sending in?"

"Gale Hawthorne." He says in a clear loud voice. Even though almost everyone in town and in the Hob had heard about what Gale did, there are still a few people whispering over the shock of it.

"Well, Mr. Gale Hawthorne, please come up to the stage." Effie says in her most professional Capitol voice. She turns to me and gives me a wink. I look back at the audience that is made up of all the people I have seen all of my life. As my eyes scan over them, I see Gale coming out from the back and his mother and siblings crying after him. His younger sister is sobbing his name, she probably has no idea what he had done, and she's too young to understand. He comes to stand on the other side of Effie as my eyes wander back to Peeta. "And now, Mr. Mellark, who have you chosen?"

"I volunteer myself." He calls out clearly. I can see his mother shaking her head. It's not like she would actually support her son in any choice he made.

Once we're all on stage, Effie turns to each of us and then to the audience. "And here are your District 12 Tributes for the 75th Quarter Quell! May the odds be ever in your favor!"

A group of peacekeepers shuttle us into the justice building, keeping us separated from one another. I'm trying to think of what I want to say to Prim and my mother this time. My mother has been herself, better since my return and Prim has always done well. What do I say to them this time, knowing that I won't be coming back, right? Just as I think they're about to put us all into separate rooms to say good-bye to our loved ones, the peacekeepers just keep pushing us towards the train station.

I look to the one in front of me and then behind me, looking for Peeta. He's looking around too, just as confused. "Don't we get to say good-bye to our families?"

"Just keep walking and get on the train." The peacekeeper tells me, not even turning around to face me. When I look back again, I see Effie being shuffled rather rudely in our direction as well as Haymitch.

Once all of us are on the train to the Capitol, Peeta and I hug and sit down together while Gale stands and looks out the window. Effie comes in looking rather rattled and Haymitch just looks pissed. He goes straight to the beverage cart and grabs one of the bottles, not bothering with a glass.

"What was that? I have never been treated so crassly! When I find out what is going on!" Effie yells out at no one in particular. It's not her that I'm worried about; I'm keeping my eye on Haymitch.

"Haymitch, what is going on? Why didn't they let us say good-bye this time?" I ask him as he takes a long gulp of the dark liquid.

He shrugs, "No freakin' clue. Have you done anything else to piss off Snow?"

I look at Peeta, then shake my head. "Maybe since we picked someone else to go into the arena?"

"He can't still be mad about the whole berry thing, can he? I mean, you didn't do it to anger him intentionally, did you?" Effie asks, smoothing down her wild pink wig.

"No, she didn't." Peeta answers instead, gripping my hand tighter. Hell, I still don't know the real answer, though it's easier now than ever to say that it was because I love Peeta.

"No, I think she's right. I think this is Snow's way of punishing you without actually physically hurting you. He would have known right away that I had chosen Gale instead of going in myself again since he watches it live." Haymitch explains. "I just wonder if he knows why I chose Gale."

"Do you all hate me that much?" Gale finally speaks up, turning around from the window. "I didn't hurt Katniss on purpose! I was drunk! I don't even remember everything that happened!"

Because I've known him so long, I know Gale's telling the truth. The question is, do I hate him that much? Part of me is screaming, 'Yes! Yes, you do hate him that much!' While another part of me is saying in a much calmer tone, 'He's the one who fed your family while you were gone. He's the only source of food for his family.'

"I don't hate you." I quietly say, much to everyone's, including my own, surprise. I look up at him, "I just don't think that being drunk is an excuse. You heard me screaming at you, I tried to fight you off and you kept going….."

"But I didn't know what I was doing!" Gale takes a step closer and from the corner of my eye, I see Haymitch step closer too, and Peeta's grip on my hand gets tighter. Effie's just sitting in a plush chair, her eyes wide, not knowing what to do or say.

"That's what you told Peeta when he came looking for you. I'm not sure if I want to believe it but I'm pretty sure I do." I acknowledge, knowing that the damage is already done. I can't make Haymitch take his entry back; at least I don't think I can.

Gale's gray eyes are saddened by my admission, who wouldn't be when their supposedly best friend has sent them to fight for their life? "If you were so unsure, why didn't you come looking for me? Why did you make him pick me to send into the Arena?" He asks, pointing a steady finger at Haymitch.

I glare at him and stand up, Peeta standing up quickly beside me. "Because I was mad and hurt and embarrassed that my best friend of all the people in Panem would do that to me!"

Gale looks down, guilt all over his face. Talking to the floor, he says, "You never even let me say I'm sorry."

"As if that fixes everything! It's too late now, Gale! We're all going in; it's just a question of who will come out." I tell the entire room and myself.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N - Yes, short chapter, sorry. I'm loving the comments/reviews I'm getting, people picking sides. It'll be interesting when the Games actually start.**

KPOV

It's just like Peeta thought as we watch the other districts during their reaping. No one is choosing anyone but themselves. They all want to prove themselves again. Now I really feel like a truly horrible person. I'm sentencing my ex-best friend to a possibly instant death. Except its Gale and he knows how to take care of himself. I don't even know why I'm worried about him, it's Peeta and myself I should be worry about. Plus, he did something inexplicably cruel to me. No, we made the right decision sending him in instead of Haymitch. And, it's not Gale I feel bad for, but more his family. They didn't do anything wrong, but do any of us who are chosen do anything wrong? No, it's because we're being punished for something our grandparents did seventy-five years ago.

While we are all at the table eating dinner, it's a quiet affair. I know Gale has never eaten this good before and he doesn't try to hide how much he likes the food even though he hates the Capitol. Haymitch is nursing a bottle of liquor while Effie watches him with a disgusted look on her face. Peeta is sitting across from me, his feet touching mine every so often and when I look at him, he just smiles innocently. When the dessert comes, Haymitch just grabs the plate and leaves, Effie huffs after him, complaining about how he needs to start mentoring us again, all three of us.

"So, this is what you two had to deal with the last time too?" Gale observes, digging into his chocolate cake.

Peeta and I smile, both answering at the same time. "Yeah."

We laugh and then Peeta continues, not really looking at Gale. "They annoy each other all the time but are necessary to getting us all sponsors. They need to make us look good to everyone in Panem, even you."

Peeta does look at Gale when he says that last bit. Gale just stares back at him. "I don't need sponsors to survive."

"You think you don't, but when the time comes and you need medicine or a special weapon or food, they are all you can think about sometimes. They helped us survive the first time around." I answer, angry that he thinks he needs no one.

"That's just because you two played up the whole star-crossed lovers' thing." Gale snorts out, pushing his plate away. An Avox comes and clears away our plates and empty glasses. "Look, even the people who clean our crap away can't talk to us, answer us if we have questions."

I just stare at Gale, "Everyone has a part to play Gale and Avoxes may not be able to talk, but they can communicate just fine if needed. Don't be such a jackass. You will need more help than you realize once we're sent into that arena. And even though Haymitch hates you, it's his job to get you sponsors. The interview you do with Caesar Flickerman may be what keeps you alive."

"Yeah, he and Katniss didn't get along at all and look at all the stuff he got sent to her during the last Games." Peeta says, getting up and going to one of the plush couches. I get up and sit next to him.

"Yeah, the whole star-crossed lovers' thing, that's what he got people to play on, got them to believe." Gale answers back, still sitting at the table, playing with the placemat. "I don't have anything like that going for me."

"No, as far anyone knows, you're the guy who raped the Girl on Fire. They'll all hate you." Haymitch announces from the doorway.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N - And now for some of what I do best ;) At least I think so.**

PPOV

"Haymitch is right, you're on your own with this. Everyone loves Katniss and word travels fast, so you have to nail your interview. Haymitch isn't going to help you. I'm sure there's someone out in Panem who is exactly like you and will sponsor you." I tell Gale, looking him straight in the eye.

"I have to nail my interview with some annoying joke of a man so that I can get sponsored by people I have never liked?" He asks me back, glaring at me.

"Hey, I shouldn't even be in here talking to you, but I am. I can't even tell you why I'm talking to you." I tell him honestly. I came back into the living area after Katniss went to bed to find Gale sitting here by himself. I'm sure the gravity of what's going to be happening to him is finally hitting home.

"Because you're a nice guy, Peeta, always have been." Katniss says, coming into the room covered in a robe. I know there's little beneath that. She looks directly at Gale, "You will die if you don't get sponsors, even though you can hunt and fight. You need sponsors, Gale."

Gale just looks at her, not sure what to say. He still hasn't even apologized to her, even after he said she never gave him a chance. Looking at him, I know he'll get sponsors if he plays up his looks, there have been plenty of other tributes who use that to their advantage. I look at Katniss and then back at him; they could be related with the hair and the eyes, the color of their skin slightly darker than mine from being outside hunting.

"Look, Gale, she's right, most all Victors have won because of sponsors, or hiding their talents. We know what you're good at; Katniss knows better then any of us. And she could easily use that against you." I inform him, knowing it's not a bluff. Katniss knows how to use any advantage that should rise. "If you're worried about your family, you shouldn't be. I talked to my father, brothers. They'll make sure your family has enough to eat. It's not their fault, what you did. Besides, it was the same when I left the first time, my father made sure that Katniss' mother and sister had enough."

Katniss grabs my hand in hers, "See, Gale, he's a good man. Unfortunately it's not something that can be learned. Come on Peeta, let's go to bed. Gale will figure out what he needs to do on his own."

I let her tug on my hand and get up, following her back to our room. No one is even denying us being together on this train. Once we're in our room, she lets the robe fall into a puddle around her ankles and stands there, clad only in panties and a tank top. She gives me a coy smile, walking around me to lock the door, skimming her hand across my butt on the way there.

When she turns around from the door, I grab her into my arms and give her a deep kiss. She melts into me, pushing her hips towards mine, pushing me back into the bed. We fall down onto it in with a huff. Katniss straddles me with her long legs, tugging my shirt off and then wrapping her arms around my neck, pulling me in close to kiss. I pull on her braid, so that her head falls back, her neck exposed to my lips and make a trail of kisses down it, to the top of her tank. She pushes me back until I'm lying down and slides her body down mine, pulling my pants and underwear down with her.

Looking at Katniss, I wonder how I ever got so lucky. The girl I've been in love with for over ten years is keeping her eyes linked with mine as she shimmies her way back up to me, yanking off her tank top. I'm pretty sure she slipped her panties off too, which I'm not complaining about.

"So, Mr. Mellark, is there anything you would like to do tonight?" She asks me in the sexist voice. Her eyes are darkening, telling me that I am in for a good night's sleep after we're done.

"Well," I start, pulling her down to me, kissing her lightly on the lips, "I would like you to," I kiss her chin, "Start by," kiss her nose, "Getting yourself ready." And then I flip us over so that I'm on top.

She giggles for a second before I capture her mouth with mine again, putting one of my hands between us, fondling her breast. Katniss is breathing heavy and opening her legs wide, getting ready for me to enter her. Her hands are in my hair, it's as if she can't get close enough to me. I guide myself into her and revel in her tightness around me. She's more than ready, that's probably why she came looking for me. I start a slow pace, watching her as she's watching me. I lower myself, having been holding my body weight off of her and nuzzle my nose into her neck.

When she starts to moan, I know to go a little bit faster, a little harder because that's her cue to me. I groan as I kiss her again, pumping into her. Her noises are what drive me, let me know that everything I'm doing, I'm doing it right. She wraps her legs around my waist, grasping onto my shoulders, holding me tight as her orgasm hits her. Mine follows seconds after hers, making me shudder against her. I collapse on her, trying to catch my breath. I feel her chest rising and falling beneath me as she tries to catch her own.

"If I could, this is where we'd be forever." I say to her in a whisper, not much else can come out of my mouth at the moment.

I feel her laugh and pull myself up to look at her. "You want to stay all sweaty and hot forever?"

I smile and roll myself off of her, pulling her in close, "No, I want to stay with you, in your arms forever."

"Fine with me." She says back, resting her head on my shoulder and her hand on my chest.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N- Now that I've been able to watch Hunger Games again, I know what I will be doing for sure in the arena. I just needed to see the action again :) As always, I do not own The Hunger Games.**

KPOV

When we arrive in the Capitol late the next day, everyone is clamoring to see us. The star-crossed lovers being sent into the arena again, along with their very own personal villain, the rapist, Gale. There's so much shouting, yelling out our names, screams towards Gale, who should have been punished already. The news reached all the way to the Capitol and yet no other Victor chose to send anyone else in but themselves. Is it really all about their pride and titles?

Effie and Haymitch hurry us into the building where we will be staying for the next week, where the training will take place in the huge basement. We rush into the elevators, all five of us and the ride up to the penthouse is quiet. When we get to our floor, three Avoxes are ready and waiting to be given commands, if any. Gale looks at them and snorts, then turns to Effie, "Where's my room?"

She points to her left and he stalks away from us. Haymitch calls after him, "Be back down here in an hour, we have to go over some stuff!"

"Yeah right." We all hear him say back. Peeta shrugs and walks towards what will be our room and I follow him.

"We'll be back; I just want to get changed." I tell Effie before she starts going into a rant about how rude Gale is being.

She sniffles and nods. "Of course, Katniss. We'll see you both back here in one hour. Cinna and Portia will be here then too. I don't know who they have assigned to Gale yet, if they've even bothered with a real stylist or just an assistant. I'll go find out while you two rest."

I nod to her and then to Haymitch, who goes over to where there is already some snacking food and beverages waiting. It won't be long before he's wasted again.

* * *

An hour later, Peeta and I head back down to the dining room, where a feast is waiting for us, as well as our stylists. Effie is seated, talking to Portia and Haymitch is drinking some blue concoction. Cinna gets up from his seat and gives me a tight hug, as does Portia to Peeta when she sees him.

"I'm sorry you had to come back for this. As much as I want to see you, it would never be for this." He whispers to me, sadness in his brown eyes. Cinna has always been so nice to me and never fake like so many of the other Capitol people. "How are you dealing with this?"

I take a seat, between Peeta and Cinna. Taking a look at Peeta, then back at Cinna, I answer, "One day at a time. We trained a little and I taught Peeta how to hunt, but he drew the line at climbing trees after he realized he was afraid of heights."

"Hey, no one needs to know about that, Katniss." Peeta warns me, but his tone is light and I know that in this room, with these people, he isn't really embarrassed. Gale hasn't come down yet and I see that they either didn't send him a stylist, or they haven't shown up either.

"So, who's going to be Gale's stylist? One of you?" I ask as an Avox serves me some roasted meat and potatoes. It smells wonderful, probably tastes just as good.

"No, I sent her up to talk to him. They should be down soon." Effie answers instead. She looks down at her plate, "Was he always so rude to people?"

I can't help the smile that comes to my face. If only she knew how just last year about this time, we were making fun of her and her accent. "Not really, he just doesn't like most Capitol people."

"Why not, we're humans too?" She questions.

Do I tell her the truth? No, better not, Effie can be very sensitive when it comes to things like this. "I'm sure he's just jealous of how much better everything is here, that's all. No one has to suffer here like we do, did, at home."

She nods, "Well, that explains a lot really. But he should be more courteous of other people's feelings. And he won't get any sponsors if he keeps sulking like that."

"Yeah, so everyone keeps telling me." Gale complains as he walks in. Behind him is a petite woman who looks like she's seen one too many tanning booths. She's practically orange and her hair is an annoying shade of purple. I'm not sure of the look she was going for.

I look at Peeta and he's trying his best to suppress a laugh, so I kick him. That worked well as he scowls at me. Whispering to me, "Why'd you do that?"

"It's bad enough he has an orange as his stylist, let's not rub it in." I whisper back, rubbing his leg so that anyone watching us thinks we're not talking about anyone else. "Let's eat, this looks too good to waste."

He nods and takes my hand, kissing the back of it. I can feel the blush on my cheeks and it's only because there are so many people around us. When we're alone, it never bothers me. "It does smell good. Maybe when we get back home, we can try to make it."

"I thought the whole point of these games was so all but one person dies." Gale interrupts his voice rough and cold. I have to admit, since the whole incident, I hadn't talked to him and I don't know what he would have sounded like to Peeta, but this is not the guy I used to hunt with.

"There is absolutely no harm in thinking that there will be two Victors again this year, Mr. Hawthorne. Hope is not a bad thing to have going into this." Effie informs him.

He shakes his head at her, poking at the food on his plate. "Whatever."

"I am quite tired of your pessimism, Sir. You would do well to remember that they won last year and know a bit more than you at how to play the game." She reiterates with a huff. "I realize no one likes you right now because of what you did to Katniss as well no one should, but that doesn't mean you'll die right off. You hunted with her and you know plenty about survival in the forest. Let us show you how to survive the Capitol."


	22. Chapter 22

KPOV

Once dinner is done, we all gather around the couch to watch the district reapings again. We'll find out for sure how many tributes will be going in with us. As usual, Caesar Flickerman comes onto the screen, recapping everything with his partner in tabloids, Claudius Templesmith.

"Welcome to the 3rd Quarter Quell! In a surprising turn this year, every former Victor was to either go in themselves or choose someone else to go in for them. Every single Victor except one chose to defend their title as a Victor. The never forgettable Haymitch Abernathy chose a young man by the name of Gale Hawthorne to go in his stead. We have learned that Mr. Hawthorne committed a crime against his very own cousin and our very on Girl on Fire, Katniss Everdeen. I suppose this was Haymitch's way of giving him his due justice, sending him into the arena to defend his life." Caesar exclaims.

"Yes, can you believe that anyone would hurt our favorite girl? I think Haymitch was right to send him in, but many disapprove, saying that the young man should have been punished already in District 12." Chimes in Claudius.

"And really, what does Haymitch need to prove, it was his tributes that won just last year, he was probably pretty proud of that, after twenty-three years of seeing all of his tributes killed."

"True, true, Caesar. I think that this young man will be the target for many of the other Victors. Many of which have voiced their opinion when they arrived in the Capitol over the last two days."

The screen turns to a woman probably in her 30s and underneath her, the name Enobaria from District 2 appears. "That kid better watch himself, I will personally bite off his (bleep bleep bleep)!"

And then the picture goes to another Tribute, Johanna Mason. I remember watching her and thinking she was so dumb and it turned out she was lethal with an ax. "Not a wise choice to go attacking a Victor. This guy must be one of the dumbest in Panem and I've met a few of them."

Finally, one more Victor, the ever charming and good-looking, Finnick Odair. "Whoever this guy is, he won't stand a chance amongst the rest of us Victors. Not just because he's never been in an arena, but because we protect our own before others." He says with a wink straight into the camera. There are women screaming his name and as he walks away, he slaps their hands and waves to others.

Wow, they are all on our side, seemingly. Apparently Caesar and Claudius agree. Claudius speaks first. "It seems as though young Mr. Hawthorne will have his work cut out for him. I do hope he has some kind of talent."

"Yes, well, hear what Brutus from District 2 had to say! I was surprised when I heard this!" Caesar cries out as if fighting for airtime.

A middle-aged man fit looking man speaks his mind. "While I commend the kid for choosing the Girl on Fire, she is a hot little thing after all, he better steer clear of me! He has a lot of balls to do what he did, but those won't last long if Enobaria gets a hold of him."

Claudius and Caesar pretend to be shocked, though Haymitch just starts to laugh. "You're in for a crap load of trouble, Kid!" He directs to Gale. Gale in turn shoots him a dirty look that just sets Haymitch off into a fit of roaring laughter.

Gale starts to get up but his stylist yanks his arm hard enough to make him fall back onto the couch. She may seem small, but my guess is she doesn't put up with much. In a harsh voice, she tells him, "You will sit down and watch this. This is how you will learn just how much everyone hates you and you may even learn what they plan on doing to you and how to keep away. Pay attention, Gale, this is your life."

All of us just look at this purple-haired woman with our mouths hanging open. She sounds more like a mentor than a stylist. Haymitch shuts his mouth and then opens it again, "Listen to her Gale, because what she says is true. If I didn't know any better, I would think she's the only one who wants to see you come out alive."

It turns out that with the three of us there are fifty-nine people going into the arena. I wonder how we'll survive fighting off that many people.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N - Had to refer to Catching Fire for some of this to get the costumes right. Thank you Ms. Collins!**

PPOV

The next morning, we are with our prep teams, getting cleaned and groomed for our appearances tonight. This will be the first time we see all of the Victors and the first time the audience sees all of us. Cinna and Portia decide that Katniss and I can be together as we're prepped, since there is nothing we haven't seen already. I do feel sorry for Katniss though as her prep team waxes her eyebrows and nether area. She doesn't say anything to them, but I can see her grimace every time they pull some hair. I like the way she looks, but it isn't about me.

I'm lucky to be a guy, as not much is waxed. They don't touch my chest hair, but make sure I'm freshly shaven and my hair is trimmed just so. I sit quietly as they buff and shine my nails, file them even though I make sure to keep them short for baking. Katniss doesn't talk too much as she's getting waxed, I think she's angry that I don't have to go through the same thing. Finally, when she's sitting up in a chair, getting her hair trimmed and cleaned, does she speak to me.

"Why is it you guys don't have to get waxed anywhere?" She asks, her hands fanned out to her sides as they are being taken care of. She's already gotten a talking to from Cinna about chewing her nails and what bad shape they are in.

"I don't know. Maybe because it makes us look manlier, older if they don't." I try to rationalize, knowing she won't accept that.

She scoffs at that just like I knew she would. "So, girls with too much hair are too manly?"

"Oh, Katniss, you look beautiful no matter what. I like you the way you are all the time, not just right now. Remember, I've liked you since I was six, so I'm pretty sure I've seen you go through every phase." I tell her before the prep team can open their mouths.

They had been chatting all throughout her being waxed, plucked, and trimmed and it was getting annoying. My own prep team isn't that bad, but put the two together and it's a headache waiting to pound into your brain. They all look at me with big watery eyes, saying, "Awwww."

Katniss rolls her eyes. "You guys will fall for anything."

"Katniss, how could you not believe him?" One of her prep team asks, I think its Octavia.

"I do, but that's only because I know him." She says, looking me straight in the eye. "And he knows that if he lied to me, I would hit him."

"Katniss!" Octavia chides. Katniss giggles and the prep team calms down.

*After what seems likes hours, it's finally time to get dressed. They all leave and Portia and Cinna come in with our costumes. Cinna braids Katniss' hair first, just like her mother had when she was reaped the first time around. I watch as he puts on her make-up, heavy, dark, no cute little girl this time around. When he pulls out her costume, I think that it's just a simple black jumpsuit. He sets a half crown on her head, black as night instead of gold like the ones we wore last year.

Katniss looks over to me in my matching black jumpsuit that hugs me perfectly. Cinna turns the lights down. We stand in front of the mirror together and while Cinna presses a button inside her sleeve, Portia does the same to mine. Our outfits start to awaken with a soft golden light and then turning into the brilliant orange-red of burning coal. Somehow the colors shift as a real ember would and I smile to our reflection, at Katniss.

"How did you guys do this?" Katniss asks as they turn us off.

"We spent a lot of time watching fires." Cinna answers, turning the lights back on.

Portia turns me to face her, checking my equally dark make-up for any imperfections. "Now, we want you two not to be friendly with the audience this year. You're not happy to be here, so make sure that they know that."

"But won't that piss them off?" I ask, taking Katniss' hand in mine.

Cinna replies, "They all love you two, so that won't hurt them as much as you think. No one is happy that you two are going back in. Star-crossed lovers and all."

I nod and look at Katniss, to which she replies, "It'll be pretty easy for me. You're the nice one."

I smile and give her a quick kiss on the lips. Portia chokes back a sob and walks away. Cinna comes over to us, "I'm sorry. You two go ahead and go downstairs. We have a few more things to do, so we'll see you later."

"Is Gale dressed the same as us?" Katniss asks right before he leaves.

"Yes, though they are still only putting two riders per chariot, so he will have his own. He'll be lucky someone doesn't throw something at him heavier than flowers." Cinna warns as he pats me on the back and gives Katniss a hug. I guess this is how it's been with them since the last Games. I noticed it when we were on the Victory tour. She likes Cinna because he isn't as fake as so many of the Capitol people are.

"Well, are we ready to go?" I ask Katniss as she looks at herself once more in the mirror. She smiles at me and takes my hand.

"Let's go." It's a bit early, so we have time to just hang around watching the other tributes as they arrive.

Everyone starts to form small groups, chatting away with one another. Many have known each other for years, so there are a lot of friends this time around, unlike last year when no one talked to one another. I stupidly forgot to go to the bathroom before we left our apartment, so I leave Katniss for a moment to take care of it. When I return, I see Finnick Odair talking to her, leaning in close as she's petting the horse that will take us out. He's wearing next to nothing and it bothers me that he's so close to Katniss. He turns his head and sees me and says his good-byes.

"What did he want?" I ask her as I come up to her side.

She tilts her head to mine, her lips dangerously close and bats her eyelashes, "He wanted to know if I wanted a sugar cube and he wanted to know my secrets."

I pull away from her laughing, "Seriously?"

"Seriously. Where's Gale, I want to see what he looks like since he's supposed to match." Katniss says as she takes a look around. I look around as well and then the elevator opens again, revealing Gale and his stylist.

He's all in black just like us and looks annoyed that he is even here. It won't be a problem for him to not wave to the audience. They come up to us, his chariot right behind ours, clearly marked with the number 12 on each of them.

"This is so stupid." He mumbles as his stylist has him bend down so she can fix the broken helmet on his head. I guess he doesn't get the exact same costume. "Everybody hates me already, so I won't get anything in the arena."

"Just do as I said, at least they'll get a good look at you and know that you may be a fighter from the shape you're in. You're not as wiry as most kids from the Seam, they'll see that clearly enough." She tells him. She's right; with how tight these costumes are, they leave little to the imagination. Of course I like how it's tailored to Katniss' body, but if I keep thinking about her like that, then everyone will see how much I like it.

The music starts up and the doors open. I help Katniss into the chariot and she gives me a hand when I climb in. I watch behind me as Gale climbs into his, still sulking. I think even with what he's done to Katniss, there will be someone who becomes his ally. Katniss takes my hand as our chariot starts to move. Just before it hits the doors, she says,

"Kiss me."


	24. Chapter 24

KPOV

The kiss is short but I know everyone has seen it as the crowd erupts into a full frenzy. If they were loud before with the other Victors, they have amped up their cheers by 100 percent. Peeta and I turn our heads so we face directly in front of us, not giving in to the craziness that is for us. Although I'm thrilled that I'm with Peeta, I could care less about the Capitol and I finally get to show that. I catch our faces up on the giant screens, but keep my face solemn if not angry.

Everyone's eyes are trained on us, as we round the Tribute's Circle. I swear even President Snow can't keep his eyes off of us. People are still staring, even as the President starts his speech. As we stand on our chariot, waiting for the same old speech to end, I take a look at Gale. He looks absolutely pissed and bored, his broken blackened hard hat sitting sideways on his head. His costume does glow like ours, but seems to turn black whereas ours doesn't. We are meant to be brighter than him, stand out more, it makes sense.

We finally relax when we are back through the Training Center doors. I shake out my hand, not realizing how tight I was holding onto Peeta. He smiles and kisses it before helping me out of the chariot. We see Cinna and Portia, who are madly clapping at us. Then I spot Haymitch who is talking to the Victors of District 11. I recognize his friend, Chaff, as they have been on television drinking together for ages. I don't know the woman, but do know her name is Seeder. She's old, but untouched by drink or drugs as so many of the other Victors are. The three of them come to us and she gives me a hug and I know it's because of what I did for Rue.

We all get onto the elevator, joined by another person. I'm still holding Peeta's hand; it comforts me, as it has for the past six months. It's Johanna Mason from District 7 and she's dressed like a tree. She tosses her headdress out the elevator door just before it closes, making some poor attendant trip over it. She almost rips off her costume, choosing to stand among us completely naked. I know that I've gotten over my shyness of being naked in front of Peeta, but this is too much. I look away as best I can, though I see Peeta doesn't seem to be disturbed by it at all, which disturbs me.

"I cannot figure out why our stylist has to be so stupid! Every freaking year for the last forty, she has dresses us up as freaking trees! I wish I had someone like Cinna and Portia, even the new guy's stylist gets! And he's a damn rapist!" She yells out to no one in particular. Then she turns to us, our lights glowing off of her pale perfect skin. Looking directly at me, she says, "You're so lucky to have a stylist like Cinna, I loved the dresses he had for you for the tour."

I look just above her head, trying not to let my eyes fall, "Yeah, he's great and can do wonderful things with fabric."

I feel Peeta's smile before I see and I yank his hand. He coughs, trying to cover up his laugh. Johanna keeps talking though. "You know you two coming back in is all anyone has been talking about. I mean, everyone's upset that any of us have to go back, but the star-crossed lovers? Oh my God, they have been freaking out over it."

"Really?" Peeta asks, catching Johanna's attention. She turns to him and they start a full-fledged conversation. I can't help but notice her breasts lighting up from his costume. I'm so wishing this elevator would stop at her floor.

"Oh my God, it's like the only thing anyone can talk about! How Haymitch thought it was such a great idea to send in your rapist, probably hoping that he'll get killed in the fight at the Cornucopia. That it may end up being one of you who kill him and no one will be mad about it because it's justified. Yeah, that's all I've been hearing about the last two days that I've been here. All, Girl on Fire and Loverboy. You need to come up with a better nickname." She goes on and finally we reach her floor. "Well, I see you two tomorrow morning at training."

I nod my good-bye, but say nothing. In fact, I don't say anything until Peeta and I are alone. I let go of his hand and he laughs at me. "What? Why are you laughing at me?"

He tries to grab my hand but I push his away. "Oh come on, Katniss, honey. Are you jealous?"

I look at him, his smiling face and part of me wants to slap it off while the other part wants to take him and kiss him. I know my voice is betraying me when I tell him, "No."

He laughs again and I shove him away as he gets close to me. "Well, then we're even."

I let him wrap his arms around me, "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I wasn't too happy seeing Finnick Odair so close to you and now you're not too happy that Johanna was naked in front of me." He leans in and gives me a tender kiss just as we get to our floor and the doors open.

Gale is already up here, his lights turned off as he stalks to his room. His stylist follows him, reminding him not to tear it off. I turn mine off and head to Peeta and mine's room, so that I can change for dinner. Peeta follows me. We help each other out of the bodysuits and put on some sweats. We go downstairs, holding hands as usual. Dinner is steaming from our plates and tall glasses are filled with something bright blue. I notice Haymitch poor some light liquid into his from a flask and shake my head. Will the man never learn?

I sit down; inhaling the tasty scent of our dinner and my mouth starts to salivate. We all eat happily, knowing that we'll be watching the Tributes Circle on television as soon as it's done. There are a few comments about our costumes, but it'll all be saved for when we watch it again. Effie is on her usual high-pitched rant of how good we looked and how we are all anyone is talking about. Gale says nothing at the table, which makes me think he'll explode when he sees himself on television.

We all gather around the couch, plopping ourselves down in the cushions. Haymitch has a drink in hand, while Peeta and I bring the bowl of chocolate-covered strawberries to share. As usual, Caesar Flickerman starts the show.

"Welcome to the Tributes Procession! Here we will see all the tributes in their representational costumes from their districts. Here come Gloss and his sister Cashmere, looking dashing as ever in their silver outfits. They are always a sight. Brutus and Enobaria from 2; don't get too close to her!"

"Ahhh, the Victors from District 3, almost like a disco-tech light going on there!" Claudius interrupts, "Oooo, now take a look at the ever popular Finnick Odair! No need to get vicious ladies and gentlemen! Almost everything is on view with him!"

They go on in their annoying Capitol fashion until they see us. I pay attention now, seeing how we looked to everyone else. "My, my, look at the star-crossed lovers. On fire yet once again! How do their stylists do it? And behind them, the currently unpopular, Gale Hawthorne! Even he's on fire, though it looks like he's dying out a bit!"

Caesar and Claudius laugh as Gale's costume does seem quite black compared to us. "It just proves that he is in the shadows maybe?" Claudius asks.

"Could be, could be. Well, there you have Panem, our Victors for the 3rd Quarter Quell, the Seventy-fifth Hunger Games. And now to President Snow…."

"That was great!" Cinna exclaims. "Everything looked exactly as it should!"

"So I was supposed to look like I had died in a fire?" Gale asks, getting up and already heading to his room.

"Yes, actually!" Cinna calls after him. No one goes after Gale, not even his stylist.

She stands up and looks at us, "He doesn't understand that it still made him stand out. I mean, if you look at some of those costumes, they're just dumb. But he, he stood out, even practically all in black. I'll see you all tomorrow."

She walks out; going to her room I'm sure. I look at Peeta, "Are you ready for bed too?"

"Yeah, tonight was tiring. We'll see you all at breakfast?" He asks, getting up and then pulling me up with one hand.

Everyone nods and says their goodnights. Peeta and I brush our teeth and climb into bed. It doesn't take long to fall asleep at all.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N - Had to refer to CF again. I'm mixing it up with my own characters too in case you hadn't noticed ;)**

PPOV

The next morning before we begin our training, Haymitch pulls us aside before we leave.

"Make alliances with people. I know that will be hard for you, Sweetheart, but trust that what I'm about to tell you may save your life. Look to Finnick and Johanna especially as it may be easier for you to get along given your ages. Chaff is very good to know, he's a lot like me, so you should like him." He says with a wink. "I trust that you can pick your own alliances, but these people are a sure bet."

"Why do we have to make alliances? Katniss and I are good together as a team on our own." I ask him. Haymitch gives me a look of, I don't know, you're too young to understand.

"Just try to make alliances with these people, trust me. They all like you both, well, him more than you but will do what they can to protect you."

"Protect us from what?" I don't understand why Haymitch wants us to make these alliances.

"Trust me, Kid, these are the people you want in your corner when the wrong people come to find you." Is all Haymitch says and walks away; looking for a drink I'm sure.

Katniss and I get ready to go down together, Gale sulking behind us. He wanted to come down on the next elevator, but his stylist said that he might need a little bit of protection.

"As if they want to help! They could probably care less if someone attacks me before the damn arena!" He yells down at her. She has to be a foot shorter than him.

We learned last night that her name is Trinity. Fitting as there are three of us going in. She looks up at him, her hand balled into a fist as if she's ready to hit him. "_I_ don't care if _they_ care or not, you _will_ go downstairs with them. You don't have to eat lunch with them or anything, sit by yourself, or come up here to eat for all I care! Just get in the elevator with them!"

Gale shuts his mouth and walks in behind us. When we arrive to the training hall, there's almost no one there. It's not like last year when even on time, we were the last ones in. Katniss and I hold hands, walking over to where we will eventually have to listen to a speech made about what to train in and pay attention to. Gale strides off and stands against the wall. He can see everyone who comes in that way. I notice Johanna is already here, talking to Finnick. They have probably known each other a little while; I think they won a few years apart.

I start to go towards them and Katniss squeezes my hand. "What's wrong?"

"I just think that maybe we should wait and see how today goes. We can watch everyone and find out what the heck Haymitch is talking about." She whispers to me. It doesn't matter though, as Finnick and Johanna are walking towards us.

I see Gale stand up straighter against the wall, watching us. It's nearing the 10 o'clock mark, when everyone should be down here so we can start training. The pair from District 6, an aging morphling set along with a younger man come to stand across from us. I don't remember seeing the younger man, but he must have been a Victor not long ago. Usually no one under 16 has ever won, except for Finnick, who won at 14. He was the youngest that we know of. A few more people arrive, late, chatting, not seeming to care that they are late. I notice Brutus and Enobaria, she scares me with those fanged teeth she had implemented after she won her Games. She killed someone with her bare teeth. Ugh, it's creepy when she smiles, but she has plenty of fans. Right at 10, the woman who runs the training starts her pitch about combat and survival stations and then she lets us go.

"Do you want to do everything together like we basically did last year, or split up?" I ask Katniss. She looks around, trying to make her decision.

"Let's split up. We'll probably figure out who best to ally with. I can't believe Haymitch is making us do this." She says as she walks away to the knot-tying station. I know she's pretty good at it already, but she probably wants to go over it again.

I make my way to the spears, where Chaff, Brutus, and two other male Victors are. Brutus is all ready for another round of fighting, while Chaff is ready for anything in general. The other Victors, Micah and James are probably in their mid-thirties. They aren't happy to be here, as they have families of their own back in their districts, 5 and 6 respectively. They keep whining about it until Brutus tells them to shut up unless they really want something to cry about.

I look around to find Katniss. She's tying knots and I see Finnick come up behind her, finishing it for her and making a noose, pretending to hang himself. If only I was so lucky. I smile when she gets up and walks away from him, going to the fire starting station, where the Victors from 3 are. I keep looking around and find Gale talking to Johanna Mason of all people. I got the impression she hated him, but she seems pretty chummy with him right now. Then again, she's completely naked again, oiling herself up for a wrestling session. It doesn't look like Gale is going to be wrestling though, as he walks away from her to the throwing knives section, stealing a look back at her though before he leaves, and shaking his head.

I watch him for a minute, not surprised that he has pretty good aim. He is a hunter after all. Katniss did tell me once though that he had to teach her how to make snares and in return she taught him how to shoot arrows. A quiet looking man is watching Gale too, looking slightly impressed. I think he's from District 9. They had the unfortunate pleasure of wearing cow costumes last night. Gale sees him and offers him a knife. They take turns throwing, making a contest out of it before moving on to another station. I decide it's time to figure out how good or bad I am at the knives, so I go over there, followed by the same group of men. Enobaria watches us for a minute before joining. She's even scarier up close and I stand on the other side of Chaff just to not have to look at her.

Johanna comes up to join the group as well, still oily and still very naked. She's not shy, that's for sure. She tilts her head towards Katniss, laughing slightly, "Why is your girlfriend hanging out with Nuts and Volts?"

"Who?" I question back, looking around for Katniss again. She's still with the two from 3, but they have moved on to the shelter section. This could definitely come in handy if we're not lucky enough to find a cave again. I'm glad she's taking those training sessions. I already know she's good at throwing knives, obviously archery, runs fast, and since she knows how to climb trees, she always has a way to disappear. I need help with almost all of that, so I'll keep to this group of people and these stations. "Why do you call them that?"

She laughs again, making her breasts jiggle just so. I notice that most of the guys are watching her. "Because she's kinda crazy and he's always tinkering with wires and electricity. That's how he won his Games, making an electric trap to kill the others. They're both pretty smart; they have to be since they're from 3."

"Oh. Well, Katniss likes who she likes. I trust her." Is all I tell Johanna. "Umm, do you ever wear clothes?"

She laughs again, "Only when I really have to. Why, does it bother you or your girlfriend?"

I don't answer and she just laughs. Luckily, lunch is announced and she goes to find her clothes. We all make our way to the dining hall.

The guys I have been hanging out with put a group of small tables together to make one large one. This is the exact opposite from last year, comforting and disturbing at the same time. I find Katniss in line.

"How's it going?" I ask her, touching her lower back.

"Not too bad. I like Wiress and Beetee from District 3. How about you? I saw you talking to Johanna again." She answers, filling up her tray with random items. They always have so many different options for food here.

I look sideways at the girl I've loved for a decade. "Katniss, I can't help that she doesn't wear clothes. I did ask her about it."

She looks at me, "Oh, really?"

"Katniss, come on, the only woman I ever really want to see naked is you." I admit, whispering into her ear. I mean, Johanna's in shape and all, but I only care about Katniss. Katniss turns her head to me and gives me a quick kiss.

"If you say so."

"Besides, she was talking to Gale." I fill up my tray, following Katniss around until we've both checked out all of the food tables. We sit down together, in between Chaff and Seeder. They seem like a safe bet for now.

Chaff makes fun of himself a lot, even though he's quite sober. Everyone is talking to one another, catching up in some way or another. Even though Gale is at the bigger table with everyone, he keeps pretty quiet, until:

"So, kid, what made you do it?" Brutus asks, looking directly at Gale.

Gale sits up, putting his spoon down near his bowl of stew. "I'm sorry?"

Everyone has gone quiet, because everyone wants to hear his answer.

Brutus asks again, "Why'd you do it? What you did to her?" He jerks his thumb at Katniss.

Gale looks around the table, probably knowing he can't get away from answering with so many people surrounding him. He clears his throat. "I didn't mean to, I was drunk."

"Big deal, I'm drunk all the time, I sure as hell have never done what you did." Chaff announces.

"Yes, but women always want to be with you because you're a Victor from the Hunger Games." Seeder says. She's right, most male Victors have no lack of options when it comes to women, nor do the women Victors honestly.

He chuckles, "Yeah, I guess. But I wish some of them didn't."

Everyone giggles but then focus back to Gale. Johanna starts up again, "So, really, you were drunk? That's what you're telling people?"

"It's not a lie, I was. I'd barely had anything to drink before and ….and…"

"What? What could possibly make what you did excusable?" Finnick asks this time. It seems that everyone wants to be able to put him on the spot. "Aren't you her cousin or something?"

Katniss looks at me and I just shake my head. I'm not about to get into the middle of this. Gale had already been warned that no one liked him, especially amongst the Victors. He should have been prepared for this. I've already talked to him once, with no change to his answer.

I catch Gale staring at Katniss and she follows my gaze to him. "I never meant to hurt you, you know that."

Katniss looks down at her plate, resting her hands on either side of it. She looks at me again and then at everyone who is watching for her reaction. She finally turns back to Gale. In a low voice, she replies, "I know. It doesn't mean I've forgiven you yet."

"And she shouldn't have to!" Enobaria speaks out. She points her fork at him, jabbing the air with it. "You're just lucky we can't do anything to you here and now, you little jerk! All bets are off once we're in that arena, asshole!"

She gets up, throwing her fork down on her tray and storms out. Everyone watches her go, but no one gets up to follow her, their eyes just go back to Gale.

"Man, you better watch your ass once that timer goes off." Johanna remarks.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N – To hgfan, thank you for pointing out that Annie has not appeared yet, but neither have more than half of the Victors. I just haven't worked everyone in yet. Short chapter, but it made more sense this way.**

KPOV

After Johanna's remark, there are a few snickers, but mostly everyone is serious. I get up, put my tray and dirty dishes away and go into the bathroom. I can't breathe all of a sudden and need to get away from everyone. I run cold water from one of the sinks and splash some onto my face. A few seconds later I hear a knock at the door and then Peeta's voice.

"Katniss, baby, are you okay?" He asks through the thick door. I know he's probably leaning up against it, listening for me.

"Here, let me." I hear someone else's voice, I'm pretty sure it's Johanna. Sure enough, she slowly opens the door and closes it.

At least she's fully clothed still. I just look at her, spiky brown hair going every which way, brown eyes wide and carefully watching me. Why is she the one in here with me?

As if she knows I'm thinking it, she tells me, "I know you don't think me much more probably a tramp who likes to walk around naked, but it's not true. At least the tramp part," she says with a small smile.

I just keep looking at her, wanting to scream for her to get out or something, just leave me alone, but she continues. "I know what it's like."

"What what's like?" I ask her, turning towards her with my arms folded.

She quickly squats down on the floor, as if this is going to be a really long story and we might as well be comfortable. I don't want to be comfortable. "To have been raped by someone you thought you could trust and have to look at them almost everyday, knowing what they did to you and you can't do anything about it. At least you got him here."

"I could have turned him in." I acknowledge.

"Then why didn't you?" It's a simple question really, but one that I haven't fully figured out until now.

"Because he had been my best friend for years; the only person who really knew me." I admit. "I didn't want him to be punished by peacekeepers; I wanted it to be done differently."

"Well, you're getting your wish now, aren't you?" She says, starting to pick on some invisible spot on the floor. "I was younger than you and threatened to keep my mouth shut. You're lucky; I had heard that your boyfriend went to beat him up when he found out?"

"I asked him to." I say, sitting across from her, pulling my knees up to my chest.

"But he would have done it anyway, right? I mean, anyone can see how crazy you two are for each other, kinda makes it easier to pick on you that way." She tells me honestly.

I smile; I guess she could tell I was jealous of her being naked in front of Peeta. "I'm sorry, you're just….you're just different from anyone I know."

Johanna smiles at me, "Honey, you will never know anyone like me, I guarantee it."

"Does anyone know what happened to you?" I ask her, not sure why I'm asking, but too curious not to.

"Just the guy who did it and he was reaped two years after it had happened and died." She looks me straight in the eyes, "I guess they all get what's coming to them in the end."

"And you were friends with him? Before he attacked you?"

She nods her head, "More or less. He was a year older than me, someone that I talked to and liked in school. I was reaped the year after him, but I obviously survived. I'm pretty sure had he tried to attack me when I was in the woods, I would have killed him and everyone would have known I was good with the ax, but as it was, we were alone in his house, waiting for his brother to come home."

"I'm sorry." That's all I can think to say to her.

Johanna shakes her dark head, "No matter, I'm stronger for what happened. There's only two options really. Let it get to you and weigh you down or learn from it and always watch your back."

"I don't know that I fit in anywhere with that." I tell her, wringing my hands.

"Eh, you'll figure it out. But you're not depressed, right? You got on with your life, well, kind of. If it wasn't for being back in this shit hole, right?" She says getting up. She holds out her hands to help me up.

"Right, I'd be busy cleaning whatever game I just caught or watching Peeta bake or something like that." I look at Johanna, who is just a little shorter than me. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, we still have to get through the arena." She starts heading towards the door and then stops, her hand on the handle. "Would you be able to do it?"

"Do what?"

"Kill him? Kill the guy who knew you?" She asks, her eyes never wavering from mine.

"I don't know." I answer honestly. I'm hoping someone else will just so I don't have to think about it.

"Then you won't." And she opens the door, walking out, leaving me behind to gape at her with an open mouth.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N - Thank you everyone for all the comments and reviews. Appreciated all the time! I will hopefully be introducing a few more victors in the next two chapters, there's a lot to make up :)**

PPOV

The door finally opens after ten long minutes Johanna comes out and punches me lightly in the shoulder. "You've got a decent girl there."

"I know, I'm lucky." I say as she walks away. It's another minute before Katniss comes out. When she does, I put my arms around her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she answers. She pulls away and looks at me with sad grey eyes. "I think Johanna is my new ally."

We start walking back to the training center, hand in hand as usual. "So, new ally? Really, I thought you didn't like her?"

"Well, I don't like the nudity thing, but she'll be a really good person to have on our side. Haymitch will be happy about it." She tells me. Katniss lowers her voice as we've caught up to other Victors. "He'll probably be disappointed that I like Beetee and Wiress anyway."

I laugh and nod, "Yeah, probably. So, you want to do some training together for the rest of the afternoon?"

"That'd be nice. I was thinking of learning how to make hooks. I haven't been fishing since….wow, in a long time."

"Yeah, what the heck? I like fish too." I remind her and she pokes me in the side. "I've never even been fishing, ever."

"How would you have? You'd never been in the woods until I took you and I haven't even taken you to the lake my dad taught me to swim in." She tells me as we get into the center.

"You know how to swim? Is there anything you can't do?" I ask her simply, only slightly mocking her. She really jabs me in the side now.

"I can't paint." She says with a smile and heads over to the fishing station. I follow a few steps behind her, when all of a sudden Gale comes over from out of nowhere.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" He asks me. Katniss can hear him and turns to face us. "I just need to talk to Peeta, please?"

She looks at me and I shrug my shoulders. What could he want with me that can't wait until we're in our apartment away from all the rest of the Victors? She walks ahead and is joined by Finnick, again, and one older woman and a younger one as well. I think they're all from District 4.

I go off to the side with Gale. Turning to face him, I ask, "What?"

"I know Haymitch told you and Katniss to ally with people. Do you think anyone will ally with me, knowing what they know?" He seems afraid now, like he didn't realize how much everyone could hate him for what he did. I mean, no one is going to like him for it, I hope.

"Well, you were throwing knives with that one guy from District 9. Talk to him." I tell him, starting to walk towards Katniss again. He grabs my arm and I turn again, looking down at his hand on me. "Don't touch me, Gale. Just because I didn't get to beat the crap out of you that day doesn't mean I won't."

He takes his hand away quickly. "I know you both hate me; I've accepted that because I am a jackass for doing what I did. But…..but.."

"Gale, what? What do you want? Help? That's what these training stations are for. You learn and hopefully take something away from them." I remind him and walk away. He doesn't grab me again or call after me either. I join Katniss and the three Victors from 4.

"Peeta, this is Mags and Annie. Annie is Finnick's…" she leans in close to me to whisper, "girlfriend. They've been in love for awhile now."

I look over at Finnick and he nods, smiling. Huh, I would have never guessed that he'd be serious about anyone. He's always flirting with, well everyone. I nod back, more comfortable with him being around Katniss now. I know she wouldn't choose him over me or anything, but he's Finnick Odair and I'm pretty sure he could have whomever he wanted if he set his eyes on them.

"Mags is a genius! She can make a hook out of anything and everything!" Katniss gushes, watching Mags make a fishhook from an earring.

Katniss tries her hand at it and does a pretty good job with a nail and some thin string. She holds it up for Mags to check out and the older woman says something that I can't understand with a toothless grin. I don't even know that Katniss can, but she smiles and nods at her as though she can. "You know Peeta, we don't have to be doing the same thing, I know you'd rather be in the camouflage section."

I love that she knows this even though I haven't said anything. I nod and kiss the back of her head. "Alright, I'll see you later. I do want to see if they have anything different this year since it's all Victors."

"Okay. I'll probably be going over to shoot soon. I just want to make a few more hooks." She tells me as I start going to the camouflage station.

I notice the morphlings are there, just painting each other. It doesn't seem that they are really learning anything, just making a mess. It's like they are kids playing with paint. I try to ignore them as much as I can so I can focus on turning my legs into the muddy ground behind us. It's hard to do when they keep coming too close and want to paint my face up in bright colors. I give up after awhile and head over to watch Katniss shoot instead.

She is amazing to watch and I'm not the only one doing it. The instructor must have figured out that she's easily bored with stationary targets so by the time I get there, he's throwing fake birds up into the air. Even though she's really quick, there's something graceful about watching Katniss shoot. I see a few of the Victors' mouths hanging open stupidly as they watch her. I smile, since I've been able to see her do this with real targets. She shoots five in succession and then turns around, probably at how quiet it's gotten and gives a shy small smile. She gives the bow to the instructor and walks over to me.

"How long was everyone watching me?" She asks me in a low voice. We head to the elevators as it's time to go up to our apartment to get ready for dinner.

"I don't know, there were a few people when I first got there." I tell her. "At least they were leaving you alone. The morphlings kept trying to paint me."

She giggles, "I saw that. I think they could have painted you into a field of flowers."

I throw my arm around her shoulder, bringing her into my side. "I can paint you into a field of flowers."

"Nah." She answers as we are going up. When the doors open, we find it empty. It seems odd that Haymitch and Effie aren't up here, but it gives us time to shower and change before dinner. Gale is just coming out of the elevators as we go to our room. He looks solemn and goes straight to his room.

By the time we get back downstairs, Haymitch and Effie are waiting for us.

"So, I received a lot of requests for you to be allies with other Victors." Haymitch says as we take a seat. Gale is already at the table, just listening, poking at his food.

"They saw her shoot. I don't think they realized how good she was when they were watching the Games last year. Even I didn't already know she'd be my ally, I'd make a formal request." I tell him, smiling at her. Katniss shakes her head, looking down at her plate.

"You're really that good? So much that even Brutus wants you?" Haymitch asks, loading his plate up with food. He takes a sample of his wine and motions for more.

Katniss' head shoots up, "I don't want him to be allies with us. I like Beetee and Wiress, Johanna, Mags, Annie, and Finnick."

"Good choice in Finnick and Johanna, maybe even Beetee, but two crazy women and an old lady? Really?" He chides her.

"Well, she hasn't gotten to meet everyone yet. It was just the stations she happened to be at today." I speak up. I hate when he picks on her, Katniss knows what she's doing.

Haymitch looks at me, "And who have you chosen, Kid?"

"Well, I like Chaff and Finnick's not so bad after all. Enobaria is pretty scary, so I'll kindly stay away from her." I admit, shivering when I think of her smile.

Haymitch laughs out loud, almost choking on his food. Effie hits him on the back hard, trying to clear his throat. He waves her hand away, "I don't blame you, Kid. She's one of the true freaky Victors. Most just get drunk or high, or the young ones like Johanna and Finnick, Cashmere and Gloss, just enjoy their time and money in other ways. I know a few of the middle-aged ones have families, but that's not for everyone."

"What do you mean two crazy women? Wiress just doesn't finish her sentences, but she seems alright." Katniss interrupts.

Haymitch puts his fork down. "Annie went crazy after her time in the arena. She watched her district partner get beheaded and hid until an earthquake broke a dam and everything was flooded. Course, being from District 4, she knows how to swim and won that way."

"Oh my God." Katniss says, looking down at her plate again. She pushes it away and sits quietly with her hands folded in front of her for a minute. "Finnick's in love with her."

Haymitch nods, "I'd heard rumors that he had someone back home. It's kind of dangerous, I mean, look at you two."

Katniss looks at me and I look at her. I have to ask, "What are you talking about?"

"You think Snow has forgotten about your stunt? If you both hadn't been Victors, one of you could have been killed by now." He informs us, like we know what he's talking about.

It's Gale who speaks up this time. "I guess I wasn't the only one who got pissed off by you two."


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N- Another short chapter, but makes sense going into the next part. Thank you everyone for all the reviews and comments! Keeps me going.**

KPOV

"Is that how he took it out on you? After you figured out how to use the force field?" I ask Haymitch while Peeta shakes his head at me. We had talked about it and I never thought I'd really ask, but I need to if our lives are depending on it. Not to mention the lives of our families.

Haymitch's grey eyes look straight into mine. He takes a long drink of his wine before answering. Wiping his mouth carefully with the corner of his napkin, taking his time, he finally responds with, "Yes, as a matter of fact he did. Within two weeks of me being home, my mother, little brother, and girlfriend were dead."

I look down at my plate, I wasn't sure he was going to answer me really. Peeta speaks first. "So, they still think we were fooling them with the berries?"

"Well, at the time, yes. I would have thought with you two being inseparable the last six months, they, Snow, specifically, would have been convinced of your love for one another. But apparently it's now not enough. You made them look stupid and Snow doesn't stand idly by for that. I don't know that the former Victors being called to go into the arena was really a coincidence." Haymitch explains.

"Haymitch! It is forbidden to talk like this! Stop it at once!" Effie scolds him. She looks at all of us with a worried look upon her face, her blue eyes wide with fright. "We can't talk about this here!"

"There isn't anywhere safe we can talk about it anyway, Effie! I didn't tell either of you, but I received a lovely little note from him when we were on tour." Haymitch admits, pulling a very worn piece of paper from his pants' pocket. He lays it down on the table and before Effie can grab it, I do.

"Katniss! No! Put it down! Haymitch, what are you doing?! You will get all of us into trouble!" Effie exclaims, fumbling to get up. Haymitch rises from his chair and goes to hers, pushing her back into her seat.

"They need to know. If it will help them at all, they need to know." He clarifies. She sits down in a huff and he takes his seat again.

"Fine, but you are only making things worse."

"How is that possible? We are all being sent into an arena of unknown terrors and deadly weapons and even deadlier people. How will reading that note make anything worse?" Gale asks. Everyone knows the letter has nothing to do with him, but he's still made a point.

Haymitch looks at Gale, "You have no idea. Snow can and will use whatever he can to get his way. Don't ever doubt someone like that. Sweetheart, go ahead and read it out loud."

I unfold it carefully and straighten it out. Peeta puts his hand on my leg, squeezes, and nods. "Dear Mr. Abernathy, I realize now that it was you who made sure Miss Everdeen has played her part well. I do not for one moment believe that she was in love when she handed Mr. Mellark those berries. Luckily for you and both of them, it seems their love is quite true now. They seem very happily in love. Unfortunately for you and her actions in the arena, there have been some disturbances amongst the districts. I have full confidence that you will control your tributes' speeches and actions from this moment forward."

I look up at Haymitch who has his eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Effie is stunned silent and her mouth is open. Cinna and Portia are shaking their heads. I look at Peeta, who gives me a sad pat on the leg and a weak smile. I look to Haymitch again. "What kind of 'disturbances' is he talking about? Is he talking about the speech we did in District 11, because that was meant to be a testament to where Rue and Thresh came from, nothing else."

Haymitch opens his eyes, puts his hand down on the table, "Yes, but you heard what happened after you left? After you were shoved back into the building?"

"Those were actual gunshots?" Peeta asks quietly. He shakes his head. "Why would they kill someone?"

"Because of what you said, because of the people responding to you the way that they did. This hasn't happened in seventy-five years." Haymitch says quietly. "Without meaning to, you, Sweetheart, have single-handedly started a revolution."

"Haymitch! We could all die tonight if you don't be quiet! You know as well as I do that we are very likely being listened to at this very moment! Please, if you care about the welfare of anyone in this room, please stop talking about it." Effie pleads again. She looks at us, her eyes filling with tears.

Cinna, Portia, and Trinity have stayed very quiet this entire time. We are all startled when we here the ding of the elevator and the doors open. President Snow, flanked by several peacekeepers walks into our apartment.

With a scary smile, he says to all of us, though looking at Haymitch and then me, "You should really heed Ms. Trinket's words. As it is, it seems we have to have another chat, Mr. Abernathy, Miss Everdeen."


	29. Chapter 29

KPOV

Why is he here? Did he really hear what we said, what we were talking about? One look at his face tells me yes, he heard everything. He can hear everything.

"Whatever you have to say to me can be said in front of Peeta as well." I tell him before he tries to split us up. President Snow glances at me for a moment and gives a slight nod.

"Oh, I think what I have to say will be directed to all of you, Miss Everdeen." He replies, looking at all eight of us.

All eyes are on him if they already weren't. He begins slowly, almost quietly. "While I commend Miss Everdeen for actually falling in love with Mr. Mellark, her action with the berries has not been overlooked in the slightest and yes, Mr. Abernathy is correct, a rebellion has been started because of it. While you may not have intended it to be that way, as you are just children, people are looking to you as some sort of symbol."

"I don't want to be a symbol! I never wanted that! I just wanted to get us home!" I cry out, rising slightly up from my chair.

Snow puts his hand up and while I think it's for me to be quiet, it's actually because there's a peacekeeper who has stepped forward to protect him. "Yes, Miss Everdeen, I understand that. Yet, that's not how everyone sees it. Many view it as an act of defiance against the Capitol and have taken the next steps to insure that there will be another rebellion. You can understand how this concerns me, how it concerns _everyone_."

"How much worse can these Games be? You have everyone go at it in a free for all, smartest one wins. What else do you want? You get our blood anyway and you killing off a bunch of Panem's, the Capitol's, favorite people is not going to make you look any better to anyone." Gale states. I'm surprised he's chosen to speak to Snow, especially knowing how much he hates the Capitol and all that it stands for.

Snow looks at Gale, it seems as though he's assessing him, how much damage he can bring on himself, those around him. "You're the one who raped Miss Everdeen? Her 'cousin' I believe? You're lucky that you're even still alive. Had this happened closer to the Capitol, you would have been killed instantly. Yet, it is fitting that you are being sent in with a group that has been known for their violent tendencies to remain on top. You have no idea, sir, how much worse these Games can be. I suggest you all keep your mouths shut on this topic. If I hear so much as a whisper of what has happened in this room tonight, what is happening in other districts, none of you will even be able to see the arena. Be on your best behavior from this moment forward."

He turns and walks away with his peacekeeper entourage. We look at one another, afraid to speak at all. Effie is shaking so much that when Haymitch pours her a glass of liquor; she drinks it as quickly as she can considering how much she spills.

Portia gets up and goes to Effie, wiping her chin clean while an Avox cleans the table. "Come on, Effie, let's get you to bed."

Effie says nothing, just follows as Portia holds her hand, leading her to her room. I've never seen her like that, though of course I understand. She'd just been telling us to shut up and no one listened, as if we ever do. Maybe Snow wouldn't have come up to see us had we just listened. Peeta takes my hand again, squeezing it reassuringly. I'm not even sure what he's reassuring me of.

"I think I'm going to go to bed too." I announce as I get up quickly, knocking over my chair. Peeta and an Avox move to pick it up and then Peeta follows me to our room. As soon as the door's closed, I start crying, collapsing in his arms. Everything that has just happened, that Haymitch told us, is hitting me all at once. We could die sooner than planned, our families be killed and we have no way to warn them, no way.

Peeta just continues to hold me, saying nothing, rubbing my back and letting me get it all out. He's moved us so that we're sitting on the bed, though I'm curled around him so that it's looks like he's cradling me. "We knew this could happen, deep down, we knew it already."

Sniffling, tears running down my face I look up at him. "I really thought it'd be better as long as I was actually in love with you. I didn't have to fake anything when we were on tour, I didn't Peeta. I thought that we were being nice with what we said in District 11, why would someone be killed because we were being nice?"

He shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. What's done is done. What we need to focus on is making sure we learn as much as we can in the next three days of training and make as many alliances as we can. That may or may not help us. Baby, listen to me, whatever happens, just know that I'm always happy you fell in love with me."

I give him a weak smile. He would say that to me at a time like this. I give him a kiss and uncurl myself from his lap. "Alright, we train hard, make friends, and try not to get killed before we get into the arena."

Peeta nods his blond head, kisses my nose, "That's right. Let's see if we can't get some sleep."

* * *

The next morning, I wake up to find Haymitch standing in our room. I rise up quickly, bringing the sheet up over me. "What the hell, Haymitch!"

Peeta startles awake and clumsily jumps out of bed. He had taken off his prosthetic last night as he does every night. He hobbles back into the bed, giving Haymitch a dirty look. "What are you doing in our room?"

"Well, good morning to the both of you too. Much better than having cold water thrown on your face." He says, giving me a knowing glance. I smile and pull the sheets tighter around me. "Anyway, before you go down for breakfast, just keep yourselves light and cheerful around Effie. She was crying most of last night, Portia stayed with her, and no amount of make-up is helping either of them. But you will say otherwise."

"No problem. We'll be down in a few minutes." Peeta replies, getting back up and going to the drawers to get his training clothes on. I wait until Haymitch is gone to do the same.

When we get to the dining room, everyone is sitting already, munching on food. Effie is trying to be her normal, annoying self, but I can hear the difference in her voice. She's tired and her voice is hoarse, probably from the crying. Portia just looks tired and is drinking some coffee.

"Morning, everyone." I say as I take my seat next to Peeta. I do my best just to not look at Effie. I eat knowing that we will be working harder today and will need that energy. Cinna and Portia are busy deciding on the finishing touches for our interview outfits tomorrow night. Trinity has yet to say anything about Gale's, though I'm guessing from his introduction costume; she will go along with whatever Cinna decides.

Effie goes over today's schedule, although we'll just be in training. I think this is her way of coping with the stress of Snow's visit to our private quarters. She does mention that at dinner tonight, she will not be there, as she needs to speak to some of the other escorts to make sure everyone is on the same page for something doing with introductions for tomorrow. I didn't really pay attention. We finish our food and head for the training center.

Gale stays closer to us than yesterday; usually a station next to one of us. I'm not sure what his plan is, though he seems to be talking to more of the lesser known Victors, the ones who have stayed out of the spotlight as much as they can. I meet a woman who goes by Lyme, from District 2. She's in her early forties probably, but tall and muscular. I wouldn't want to fight her in hand to hand combat. She's not as rough around the edges as Brutus or Enobaria though, she's a thinker, a planner by the looks of it. She hangs around another woman named Elma who has been trained as a military tactical member. They have both trained and supplied peacekeepers to the districts.

Then there's Colt, who is younger than them but has been rumored to have trained with them. There's also a rumor that he can run super fast because he was genetically enhanced somehow. Only Keegan, a geneticist from District 3, knows the truth and he isn't sharing. It only makes the rumor more believable when you see Colt run. I've never seen a person go so fast and he's in his thirties. To round out all the Victors from District 2, there's Edgar, who is in his eighties and blind in one eye with scars everywhere. I can't figure out why he didn't have the Capitol fix them, but Lyme told me that he wanted them as a reminder of how he won. He and two other tributes were caught in a fire that killed the other two and he somehow managed to survive. No one to this day can explain why. His constant companion is a guy in his late sixties named Garrett. He's an almost perfect shot with anything that he picks up and is tall to boot.

At lunch, Beetee introduces me to the rest of the Victors from his District. There's Aaron and Franklin, who are both in their forties and make programs for different Capitol gaming systems. Where Aaron is tall and lean, Franklin is short and round and makes me think of a toad. Elysia is the last of their living female Victors, married with no children but also hasn't worked since she won her Games by outsmarting the last tribute in her Games. He had been chasing her and she jumped over a pit she had found earlier and he fell in and broke his neck, leaving her to claim victory.

After lunch, people start asking me to shoot again and explain how I do it, showing them, teaching them. In return, Finnick teaches me how to use a trident, Lyme shows me a few basic moves to protect myself, and Johanna shows me how to throw the ax and chop wood with it for good measure. Peeta shows a few of the Victors how to use the paints and dyes for easy camouflage and Mags showed him how to make hooks, while Nolan, a cowboy from District 10 showed him how to make lassos. We all work together, learning from each other all afternoon until it's time to leave for dinner.

When the three of us get back up to the apartment, we're all chatting about what we've learned. Gale admits that none of the other Victors were anxious to talk to him until they learned he had been hunting too. Even he was able to show his skills in snares and learn how to throw spears and knives.

"Well, isn't this nice? All of the District 12 tributes getting along?" Haymitch says as we exit the elevator.

Gale looks at him, "Not exactly, we all learned new things today as long as we taught some stuff too. Just trading notes."

"Huh, well, that makes me think that those Victors will give you a tiny bit of a chance to get away from them. Don't count it lasting long though." He says as he puts a glass to his mouth.

"Huh, well, don't count on me actually listening to you." Gale retorts as he turns and walks away from us.

He goes to his room and his stylist follows, yelling at Haymitch on her way up. "Dammit, Haymitch, you're supposed to be his mentor, not his killer! I get that he did something horrible, I do, but you're the one who's sending him in there. You know he probably doesn't stand a chance against people who have already survived it once!"

"Gimme a break, Trinity! That kid fucked up in a way that no mere punishment will ever be enough…." Haymitch begins.

"But neither is death for raping someone." She looks at me, "I'm sorry he did it, Katniss, I am, but sending him into the arena? Why didn't you let the peacekeepers beat the crap out of him when you had the chance, or hell, castrate him? They do that in some districts, you could have found a way. But no, you all are sending him into every kid's nightmare and not even batting an eyelash."

"Excuse me? We were in the arena before, we thought we were safe from ever having to go in again and you're giving me a lecture on how we punished or, wait, didn't punish Gale? Screw you and your purple hair! He was my best friend for years and he deserves not knowing what we're heading into!" I yell back at her. I turn and storm off to our bedroom, hearing Haymitch gripe about what I just did.

I slam the door behind me and head into the shower. What right does that woman have to tell me how we should have handled Gale? It's not our fault that the Quarter Quell gave us such a twist, hell, it was convenient. But Johanna's right, I won't be able to kill him myself.

**A/N - I know I'm going to get some flack for someone standing up for Gale, but FriendofMags is right, he is in the rest of the book, and I need to show a bit of alliances before they go into the arena.**


	30. Chapter 30

PPOV

I don't know what I can do for Katniss right now. She's mad but I'm pretty sure she's confused as to what to do about it. At home, she can just go run into the woods, go hunt something, fish, climb trees. Here, she can't really get away. I can't even bake anything for her, just to make her feel better. I go into our room quietly, with some food on a plate. I know she won't want to go back downstairs and face everyone. She's pretty stubborn that way. I wait patiently on the bed, listening to her in the shower. She's humming something to herself, but I can't place it.

When she comes out, she's brushing her hair with her fingers. I'm pretty sure her prep team would have a fit if they saw her. She smiles when she sees me and I hold the plate of food up for her.

"I figured you'd be hungry but not want to eat downstairs." I tell her as she sits down next to me and puts the plate on the bed so she can start eating.

"And you were right." Katniss replies just before she pops a piece of bread into her mouth. "Am I in trouble?"

I shake my head. "Not really. Trinity gets why you're mad and Haymitch does too. He was whining just to whine. Course, when Effie came back, she was all upset because of what Trinity had said to you."

She nods her head, her mouth too full to speak, so I keep going. "Anyway, Effie said that the fact that we're even talking to Gale is one step better than what we had been doing and in no way does he deserve even that. She found out that more of the Victors want to ally with us too. She even had two requests for Gale's alliance."

Katniss almost chokes on her food. After I pat her back a little, she talks, "What? Who?"

I shrug, "I don't know, she wouldn't tell us. That can only be good for him, maybe. I mean, all of us are going against others who've killed before."

"Yeah, but some didn't really try, like Annie. She just out swam everyone when a dam broke. She didn't intentionally kill anyone. And Seeder, she was just able to out starve everyone, not that it's a talent of any kind, but still. Neither of them killed anyone and they're here." She tells me. I didn't know how Annie won, looking at her, I wouldn't have figured her for a killer. Then again, I wouldn't have thought I would kill either, but I did.

"Okay, point made. So, does that mean we're going to ally with Gale too?" I ask her because I'm really not sure where she stands on it.

"No, but I won't ignore him as much anymore. I can't, can I? He's here because of us; he's in the same apartment, from home. I just don't think that….that I…" When she falters on her words, I know I can finish them for her easily.

"You can't be the one to kill him?" She nods her head in shame. She has nothing to ashamed of. And honestly, how would anyone be able to kill their best friend? I don't think she'll have to lay a hand on him in the arena. He's already been threatened, so there's no need for her to worry about being the one to kill him. I take her hand in mine, "Katniss, baby, I don't think you'll have to. Not unless it's a mercy killing like Cato's was. I mean, you put the guy out of his misery in the end."

"I guess." She isn't sniffling or crying, which tells me she's not too wrapped up in it. Then again, I don't really know what she and Johanna talked about yesterday in the bathroom.

She starts eating again and I go to the desk in the corner to start some drawings. She's actually almost done eating when there's a knock at the door. I get up and open it, surprised to see that it's Trinity.

"Can I come in?" She asks politely, looking past me at Katniss. Katniss shrugs and I open the door wider to let her in. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I talked to Gale; I needed to find out from him what the hell happened. I mean, from his point of view."

"He already told everyone he was drunk." Katniss replies, getting up and putting her empty plate on a small side table, out of her way.

"Yes, but I don't think that's the only reason why he actually did what he did." The older woman tries to explain. Katniss turns to face her, looking at her with questions invading her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" She asks and I go to her side, taking her hand in mine.

"Can I sit down; tell you what he told me?" Trinity asks, pointing to the chair I was just in.

I nod when Katniss doesn't and we sit down across from her, on the bed.

Trinity makes herself more comfortable before starting. Clearing her throat once, she begins with, "Did you know he was in love with you, still kind of is?"

Katniss looks at me and I shrug what would I know about it? She looks back at the stylist. "Yeah, I guess so. He was never quite as open about it as Peeta, but I guess I knew when he said we could disappear into the woods, make it out of the boundaries."

"When was this?" I have to ask, because she's never told me about this.

"Before our first reaping. Though I guess he brought it up again before we went on tour. The first time I said no because of Prim and the second, I knew I couldn't leave you behind." She admits, which means she was starting to feel for me before she told me about it.

Trinity clears her throat again and we both face her. "Anyway, he got drunk to try and forget how he felt about you. Some stupid thing in his mind told him that he might be able to forget the first girl he's ever actually loved. But he knew he was going to see you and he did what he did out of anger and fear."

"Uhhh, what? Anger I get, but fear? Fear of what?" Katniss questions. Even I don't understand this and typically it's easier for me to relate to most guys train of thought.

"Fear of losing you. The only problem is he already had lost you, to Peeta. For whatever reason, he thought if he could show you what a man he was, you would change your mind."

Katniss snorts out a mean laugh, "You have got to kidding! Raping me, that's how he was going to show me that he was the better man to choose?!"

"I think he thought that his actual manhood would make you choose him. He couldn't understand why you would choose a guy who has artificial parts on him."

"Oh my God! The only reason Peeta even has the artificial leg is because of me! There's nothing else that's not his! I so don't get how any of this would have made me change my mind." Katniss looks at me and all I can do is shake my head. I've known guys who think that because they're bigger, they somehow have an edge, but my guess is that really has little to do with why a girl would choose one over the other. I mean, Katniss had never seen him naked, I don't even think she saw him when he raped her. She wouldn't look at me when we were in the arena the first time; she was so innocent and pure.

"Honey, I don't know anymore than you do. As much as I wanted you to look at me when you found me by the river, I don't think it was to show off, I just didn't mind it as much." I admit to her. I mean, yeah sure, I wanted her to see me, but what guy wouldn't take the chance to show the girl that he's liked forever his….oh. I look at Trinity, "He really thought that if she saw him differently, sexually, that she would change her mind? That she would decide he was the better guy to be with after all?"

Trinity nods her purple head. "Apparently so. It just happened that he got really drunk and none of what happened was supposed to happen. I think he meant it to have gone a lot smoother. Many think that liquor gives you courage, but look at what happens to so many people. Look at Haymitch, he's been a drunk for so long that he sleeps with a knife for crying out loud and he thinks that's normal. Listen, I can't tell you to forgive him, that's all on you. I just wanted you to know what he told me."

Trinity gets up and just before she opens the door, she looks at us, "You two belong together, anyone can see that."


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N - Sorry it's been so long. Needed this to come out before I left for vacation. This one's pretty much smut!**

KPOV

"Do you think he sent her in here to tell us that?" I ask Peeta. He just shakes his head.

"I don't think so. Why would he? He knows what everyone thinks of him. Just because we have a different view of it doesn't change much, or does it?" He questions back.

I look at Peeta, then out the window and back at him. "No, I'm still mad; I'm not ready to forgive him yet. I trusted him with so much, Peeta. My life, my family's lives. I talked to him about things that I never talked to anybody about. That all disappeared when he raped me, all of it just went away."

Peeta looks at me, straight in the eye. "I don't think all of it went away, Katniss. He may not be the best friend you knew, who knew you anymore, but I know you won't kill him and that says something right there."

"Peeta…I…" I don't know what to say to him. I knew I couldn't kill Peeta either when we went into the Games the first time around, is this that different?

"Listen, Katniss, you're not ready to forgive, fine, so then what has changed? We become allies with the people we want to and if he gets into that group, then so be it." He says firmly, so sure of himself, his decision.

"Why are you always the good guy, Peeta?" I ask him with a smile.

He smiles back at me, "What are you talking about?"

"You're always so nice to people, always ready to give them a chance even when they may not be so nice to you. I mean, I don't think I've ever seen you be mean to anyone, unless I asked you to be." I explain to him.

He nods his blonde head slowly. "Oh, well, it's probably something that I got from my father since my mother is kind of a bitch."

I giggle; he's never actually said that to me, though I think she is of course. Anyone who would hit a great man such as Peeta is not a good one in my book. "I've never actually heard you call her that."

"Yeah, well, it's the truth, no denying that. Besides, she was always meaner to me than my brothers. Enough of that, do you want to ally with Gale?" He asks me straight-forward.

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Shaking my head, "Not yet, let's see how everything goes tomorrow at the interviews. I have a feeling that something's going to happen and it won't be just from us."

"What do you mean?" He asks, going into the bathroom to start getting ready for bed.

"I can't explain it, but it just feels like with everyone getting to know one another this time around and with so many of them being favorites of …well, everyone, something is going to happen. I mean, last year, we avoided talking to anyone, but this year, everyone talks to everyone else. It's just different." I explain as best I can as I follow him in, grabbing my toothbrush.

He doesn't say anything, just nods his head and grunts since his mouth is full of toothpaste. Once he's done, I brush mine and we climb into bed. I hear Peeta undo his leg and set it next to the small table. He settles in next to me and I feel his hand wind its way under my top and up to my breast, giving it a squeeze.

"Peeta! Did you lock the door?" I ask him quietly, though I'm excited already. He jumps out of bed as quickly as he can without his prosthetic on. I have to stifle a giggle as I can hear him hopping across the floor to lock the door. He practically throws himself on the bed just to save himself from hopping anymore and I can't hide my laugh at that point.

Breathless, he tells me as he shimmies his way up to me, "It's locked now."

Then his full lips are on mine, all fresh and minty. I slide my tongue into his mouth and begin the dance. Peeta's strong hands are rolling my top up, fingers grazing against as much of my skin as possible. I lean up just enough so that he can pull off my top and since he didn't bother to put one on, feel his skin on mine. He's all warm and all mine. I push his shorts down with my feet and work quickly to get my bottoms off as well. He rolls over onto his back and I climb onto him. From the lights through the window, I can see him perfectly and he is so handsome. Always so handsome.

"I love you, Peeta." I tell him as I bend down to kiss him again. His hand is in my hair, pulling me closer and I have to break away to breathe again. I begin to trail kisses down his neck, over his collarbone and across his chest.

I hear him mumble out, "I love you too, Katniss."

Smiling against his skin, I keep my lips on his body, continuing lower. I can feel his manhood poking my stomach, chest and then finally, hitting up onto my mouth as I rest right above it. I look up at Peeta and find he's watching me, eyes dark with lust and passion. I kiss the tip of him and my smile widens as his eyes roll back into his head and it drops against he pillow. I open my mouth and slide him into it. Being as excited as he seems to be, I can't take all of him in, not that I have managed to anyway. I start a slow rocking back and forth rhythm on him, sucking on my way back up and hearing him moan. I only manage to do this for him for about a minute before he pulls on my hair, letting me know I don't need to keep going.

I climb up, laying my head down on my pillow, just watching Peeta maneuver himself over me. His weight is so welcome and I spread my legs to adjust it evenly. I feel him slide a finger into me and groan. For whatever reason, this makes Peeta more turned on and he kisses me deeply as he slides another finger into me. We're still lip-locked when he removes those fingers and slips into me easily. I have to pull my mouth away, it's always such a wonderful feeling when he enters me and I need air.

Peeta moves slowly, as if he's savoring something. I can feel the burning in the pit of my stomach getting larger, reaching out to my limbs, every inch of me as he drifts in and out of me. I pull my legs up to wrap around his waist, bringing him closer to me, making myself tighter around him and Peeta responds by thrusting harder and faster into me. My slow burning has erupted into a fire now and I can't help the noises coming from my mouth, not caring who hears us as the headboard starts to hit the wall. Just as I look into Peeta's eyes once more, he hits that special spot and I'm overflowing with ecstasy, crying out his name. I barely register that he's called out mine too, just that he has collapsed onto me and I hug him close, both of us trembling from our orgasms.

Now I know what he meant by wanting to stay like this forever; being with the person you love more than anything and being happy. I don't want anything to change that but tomorrow is a new day in the world of us Tributes and nothing good is going to come of it.


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N – I'm back and ready to go! Had to refer to Catching Fire again for interviews and outfits.**

PPOV

Katniss is up early the next morning and I chuckle as she argues with her prep team.

"We sleep together and he's seen every bit of me! Why can't we just get prepped together like we did the other day?" They've been at this for five minutes with no clear answer coming from the adults.

"Katniss, he really should get prepped on his own, so should you, at least for the interview prep." Venia tries, but it's still not an explanation.

Finally Haymitch walks in, with a glass of dark liquor in hand. "Go to your prep team, Boy."

"But Haymitch!" Katniss starts but our mentor just puts his hand up to stop her.

"The groom can't see his bride in her dress before its time." He states simply, slowly getting the words out.

I get up from the desk, where I was sitting, "What? We're doing the wedding? Here, married?"

Haymitch turns to me, his grey eyes tinged red, "No, not really, but you'll be in wedding attire, well, Capitol wedding attire. The plan is to make sure the people in the Capitol feel sorry for you two since they won't actually get to see you two get married after all."

"You want them to feel guilty for us getting sent back in?" Katniss asks before I do, taking my hand as I go to her side.

"Hopefully. I don't think that will change the fact that you are going back in, but I don't doubt for a second that there will be some anger in the audience over the star-crossed lovers not being able to have a happily ever after." Haymitch explains, rather quietly for him. "Now, Peeta, you're going to my room to get ready with your prep team and Katniss will stay here and get ready. We'll try to be traditional in that aspect."

"But District 12 does it differently." I remind him as I grab my notebook.

He nods, "I'm well aware, but here in the Capitol they go by some old-fashioned rule from generations ago. We'll just do this to do it."

"Okay." I agree. I turn back to Katniss, who I can tell is still upset that we can't just get ready together. "It's fine, Baby, I'll see you tonight. You'll trust that I will say something appropriate to the audience, right?"

She gives me a wary look but with a smile too. "Always."

I give her a peck on the lips, "Then tonight, my sweet fiancée."

I walk out, Haymitch behind me. Once we're out of earshot from Katniss, he asks me, "What do you have planned, Boy?"

I just smile and shake my head at him. "You'll find out when she does."

* * *

Haymitch leaves me alone for the rest of the day; he trusts that we don't need actual practice for the interviews since we just did them last year. It gives me more time to zone out from my prep team going on about how unfair it all is and think about what exactly I'm going to say to Caesar Flickerman in just under two hours. It amazes me that it takes so long to get ready, but they want to make sure I'm freshly shaven and my hair is gelled just right, no hair out of place. I don't care that they are putting make-up on me so much this year, it's all for the audience anyway. The tuxedo they put on me makes me think of this flightless bird I saw in a picture once. I've never seen one in real life, though Portia tells me that it's called a penguin. She just laughs at me that I would think of that when many do refer to the tuxedo as a penguin suit.

Finally, it's time to see my bride-to-be. I did propose to her on stage during the tour and Snow made her try on about a dozen different wedding dresses, but I had no idea that we would be doing this. When I had proposed, Katniss and I were just starting the relationship we have now. We were figuring each other out still. Of course I have been in love with her for a decade, but this is not how it's supposed to be done. I didn't want our marriage to happen because we were basically being threatened with death of loved ones or ourselves. I had heard that most girls would dream about their wedding day. Well, I had images of my own, to Katniss that didn't involve big fluffy dresses or tuxedos. I would have been in my finest dress shirt and pants, she would have borrowed a dress from her mother no doubt and we would have gotten our license and said a few words and shared toast together once we were in our home. I probably would have made a cake because I can and that would have been for everyone to share. But this, this isn't what I wanted, not like this.

I walk out with Portia, finding Katniss walking down from our room with Cinna. She is a breathtaking vision in white, though I'm sure she hates it to some extent. I can only smile at her though because even if these outfits aren't what we would wear at home, I can't help but be taken in by her. She gives me a small smile as she comes down the stairs slowly, carefully and I realize that she probably has heels on that she's not used to wearing. I meet her at the bottom of the steps and hold my hand out for her. She had been holding Cinna's for steadiness and gladly takes mine when she hits the floor.

I lean into her, whisper, "You look beautiful, Katniss, course I always think you do."

She shakes her head but gives me a shy smile, "Thank you, Peeta."

"Alright you two, let's get downstairs, we'll probably be the last ones down there. Could be a good thing." Haymitch says as he ushers us to the elevator. Gale comes out at the last minute with Trinity and he's dressed as though he would be a guest at our wedding in a nice dark blue suit.

"Wow, really?" I ask him and he shrugs his shoulders, pointing to Trinity.

"She said we should show a united front, even if you both hate me." Gale says honestly, as Trinity shoves him forward into the elevator with us.

"You three will go down by yourselves, we'll see you after the interviews." Haymitch informs us as we start loading into the iron box.

Just as the doors are about to close, Cinna looks at Katniss and says with a smile, "Remember to twirl for them, show them you're still on fire."

She smiles back and the doors close on us. I turn to her, her hand already in mine, "What was that about?"

"I think he did something to this dress, kind of how he did last year, only this dress weighs a whole heck of a lot more. I'm just hoping it doesn't burn off and leave me naked in front of the audience or something." She admits, shaking her head a little.

Gale snorts and I just shoot him a look to shut up. Then I look back at Katniss and tell her, "I don't think too many would mind that really. But I know you would and I don't think Cinna would do that to you. He likes you too much."

She nods and squeezes my hand just as the doors open to reveal us to every other Victor waiting to go up on stage with Caesar. Johanna's mouth drops, just as many of the other women Victor's do and a few of the men just stop talking and stare at us. I walk out first, Katniss a step behind me for a millisecond before she is even with me. I feel Gale right behind us, sure that that is not where he would naturally choose to be. Almost instantly Gloss and Cashmere come up to us, along with a few others from District 1, with disgusted looks on their faces.

"Why would Cinna put you in that?" Cashmere asks rudely, "You look ridiculous!"

"Snow made him put me in this," Katniss answers her back. I can hear the defensiveness in her voice. I hold her hand tight as Cashmere walks away with the rest of them, the ones we decided not to ally with. They begin to line up, as does everyone else.

Since everyone has to pass us, we get a lot of sympathetic looks, though a lot of the Victors seem angry too. All three of us get pats on the shoulders or back, more Katniss and I than Gale, but he still gets a few. Johanna stops, Annie and Mags next to her, Finnick behind them. She fixes the string of pearls around Katniss' neck and tells her quietly, "Make him pay for it, okay?"

I don't know what she means and as she walks away to line up, I give Katniss a questioning look. She shrugs her shoulders, not knowing either apparently. I have no idea what's going here, just that we're all about to go up on stage and sit down. I keep hold of Katniss' hand as we walk up the steps to the stage and see that Caesar is decked all in a light purple this year. I wonder what his actual hair color is, or if he has any at all. A stupid thing to think of at the moment, but in my head nonetheless. The audience is riveted by all their favorite Victors on stage.

It surprises me when Cashmere gets up and tells them how she couldn't stop crying when she realized how much the Capitol would miss all of us going into the arena again and that only one would make it out. It isn't like all the other 74 Games where they didn't know any of the children going in. This time they know all of us, how could they let us go back in? Gloss thanks the Capitol for being so nice to all the Victors from District 1 and kind of thanks them for being kind to the rest of us, but his main point is to benefit himself and his sister. Lyme wonders out loud how it is that being in the Capitol; no one has thought to change the rules of the game. Beetee follows shortly, asking why no one has looked into how this could still be legal, sending people into a fight to the death scenario. Finnick reads a poem to his one true love and though the Victors know who that woman is, I'm sure many in the audience think it's meant for them. Lila from District 5 can't even talk, she just cries about how her children will probably never see her again. Dayton from District 9 looks positively evil as he looks over the audience and tells them that it isn't fair how they could all just sit idly by while the people that they have come to know and some love are about to be fighting for their lives again. Johanna asks why nothing has been done to change it, while Seeder lets the Capitol know that District 11 thinks that Snow is all-powerful. Yet, if that's the case, why didn't he change the Quarter Quell. Chaff follows her quickly with insisting that the president could change it if he wanted to but he must not care enough about his people to do so.

When it's Katniss' turn to go up, the audience is in tears and when they see her in her dress, a riot almost starts. It takes almost the entire three minutes of our allotted time for Caesar to calm them down.

"Alright, Katniss, obviously, everyone here is upset, what would you like to say to them?" He finally gets out loudly, trying to overpower them. The people quiet down, they want to hear the Girl on Fire speak.

Her voice is a little shaky as she answers. "Well, I'm sorry that none of them will be able to see Peeta and me at our wedding…..though I am happy that they get to see this wonderful dress that they picked out themselves. Cinna has done some alterations, would you like to see them, because I think they're great."

The audience cheers and Katniss gets up and starts to twirl for them. My heart goes into my throat as I see her dress go from white silk and lace to a daring black silk dress. When she raises her arms, there are small patches of white under them. He turned her into the Mockingjay!


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N - Some familiar, some not so much, enjoy all the same! As always, thank you Ms. Collins!**

PPOV

If I thought Katniss looked beautiful in the white wedding gown, then I have to admit that she looks sexy as hell in the black version of it. She also seems very surprised, which means she had no idea what Cinna was up to. I don't doubt for a second that she'll be worried about him now. He has taken her token and literally turned her into a symbol. I wonder just how much more trouble we can get into? Her time is up though and as she passes me, we barely touch fingers, but there's a small smile on her face.

Normally it would be my turn next, but they decide to let Gale go up first. There are a lot of boos for him which is not surprising. Caesar waves his hands, trying to get the audience to calm down. Once they do, he looks to Gale and begins.

"Well, now, Gale, you are not a favorite amongst anyone in this audience. How does that make you feel?"

Gale looks at Caesar, suppresses a laugh at the man, and then looks out at the audience. "I know that they hate me, that's fine. I expect nothing less really. But guess what? I was thrown in this too and I plan on fighting till the very end. I just hope that I don't have to be the one to hurt any of my new friends."

Caesar looks surprised and sits back in his seat, "You've made friends?"

"Well, maybe not friends per se, but I won't go killing them as soon as that buzzer goes off. You know, everyone here is all pissed off that their favorite Victors are being made to go back into the arena, but yet, they never care about the twenty-four kids they sent in the first place. Why do you think that is, Caesar?" Gale asks looking over at the thousands of Capitol faces. He has balls, I'll give him that. Snow will no doubt be sure that if he isn't killed quickly in the arena, that it'll be cruel, I'm sure.

For once, Caesar has no answer and fumbles a bit. There are hisses from the crowd though and people call out that it's because of the dark days and the war and tributes are offered because they rebelled. Gale misses nothing and continues, "So, it's fair to kill off innocent children because of something their ancestors did, something they know nothing about except what is told to us in school in a book that is probably just as old as these Games? I wonder why anyone in the other districts thinks so highly of Capitol people. They are followers just like anyone else."

With that, Gale gets up and walks off the stage before Caesar can even comment. Gale's timer goes off a few seconds later and it's my turn. I have to figure out some way to get back to my initial plan and it has something to do with what he may have just started.

Caesar gives me a wide, almost scary smile, probably thankful that I was the last one to come on stage. He gives me a strong handshake and I sit down quickly. "Well, Peeta, it's been a difficult night. How did you handle finding out about the Quarter Quell?"

"Honestly, Caesar, I was pretty mad. Here we are, planning a having this big wedding so everyone could see it and now…"

"There won't be one?" There's a touch of sympathy in the older man's eyes and even in his voice. He looks out at the audience, then back to me, "I'm sure everyone was disappointed when they realized…"

"I don't think that they understand though, Caesar, I was finally going to get to marry the girl I've been in love with for a decade. Ten years I have been in love with Katniss and I finally got her to love me back and now this?!" I didn't think I was going to get mad, I was trying not to actually, but how can I not? I lower my voice and lean in to the host, "Do you think that all of our friends here can keep a secret?"

Caesar smiles after a quick frown to my outburst and with a chuckle answers, "Well, of course, Peeta. Is it a good one?"

I just smile and nod my head. I know Katniss will not be mad at me, well, pretty sure at least. "We're already married."

"What? When?" Now he's surprised again, something all three of the District 12 tributes have done tonight that is the same.

"Well, not officially, we didn't go to the Justice Hall or anything and Katniss' mother still isn't overly fond of us being together, but there's this small but important ceremony that we have back home. One morning we decided that it was the right time and we did it. We've been married ever since." I tell him but make sure to look over the audience, get them to feel more involved.

"Was this before the announcement?" Caesar asks with genuine curiosity.

I look back at the lavender-colored man and nod my head, "Of course it was. It was just after the Victory tour, about two weeks after we got back home really. I've only ever wanted to be with this one woman and she had tried on all those beautiful dresses, why would we wait any longer?"

"Of course, a love like that? It makes perfect sense."

"Yes, but now there's the baby…" I pause, smiling inside as Caesar's eyes go wide and I hear people gasp from every direction. Then there's yelling coming from the audience. People screaming how it isn't fair, that we played our Games and won, how all of the Victors should be left alone. I hear my buzzer go off and get up from my seat, bidding Caesar farewell and good luck with the audience.

I get back into the line of Victors and instantly take Katniss' hand. She's smiling at me and there are tears in her eyes, some of which have fallen down her cheek already. I wipe them away and notice that she has taken Chaff's hand, realizing that almost everyone has taken a hold of the Victor's hand next to them, I hold mine out to Gale and he reluctantly looks at it before trusting me.

The audience gets even louder with their dislike for what Snow has done, who they are about to kill off now. And then the lights go out. I keep hold of Katniss' hand and Gale lets go of mine. We are shuffled off of the stage by escorts, to the open, waiting elevators. I can tell Katniss wants to get into one with more people, but we are lead into one of our own with Gale and zipped right upstairs.

"Are you mad at me for doing that?" I ask Katniss, hands still entwined.

She looks at me, eyes still a little watery. Shaking her head, "Of course not. You always know what to say and I think that after all was said by everyone else, it was perfect."

"Wait," Gale looks at both of us, down at Katniss' stomach.

She puts her finger to her lips and whispers, "I've been an emotionally wreck for weeks now, Gale, it would make sense to _anyone_ paying attention."

I just nod at him when he looks at me. I hope he knows that it's a bluff, but at the same time I need him to believe what everyone else believes now. That the Mockingjay is pregnant.


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N - Little bit of smut before they go into the arena, because really, who knows how long it'll be before they get to do it again, right?**

KPOV

I find it odd that Gale of all people can't figure out that I'm lying. I've never been very good at it, not with words anyway. Peeta is the one with words, not me. I'm better with the physical stuff. That's how I got Peeta to believe I liked him in the first Arena, that's what people thought who had watched us. For the first bit of the Victory Tour, I faked that as well, only to have myself figure out that I was falling for Peeta in every way imaginable. The fact that he has told all of Panem that we're married and having a baby just makes me love him all the more. He knows how to play with people, knows how to work them with his words. Now it's my turn to do so by playing the part of a young pregnant woman. I think I can do it. I hope I can.

I should be mad that he used something I've never been interested in having to make the people of the Capitol feel guilty but I don't. I can't even really explain why. When we get upstairs to our apartment, we all step out quietly. We head to our room as Gale heads to his. Before we reach the top steps, I hear,

"Katniss, wait." I turn to Gale's voice; hand still in Peeta's. Gale looks sad, a little scared, but most of all, sorry. He is still at the bottom of the stairs leading to his room, looking up at us together. "I just wanted to say again that I'm sorry for everything. And I wanted you both to know that I was jealous of you being together, but I can see that it's truer than anything we could have had. Whatever happens tomorrow, or with any luck, the next few days, just know that I won't be the one to kill either of you unless that's what you want."

I look at Peeta and he looks down at Gale. He makes his way down the steps, pulling me along. Extending his free hand to Gale, Peeta replies, "I won't kill you either."

Gale takes his hand in his firmly and they shake on it. Looking at me, "How about it, Catnip, I won't kill you and you won't kill me, not directly anyway?"

I shake my head at his words. "I won't kill you; unless you change you change your mind and try to kill Peeta. You have my word."

We shake as well and all head up to our rooms. When Peeta closes the door, I hug him close to me, kissing his neck. He actually pushes me away for a second and hurt, I look up at him.

"Let's do this in the shower, I hate having so much make-up and you kind of smell like charred lace." He smiles at me, walking to our bathroom. I laugh and follow him, peeling off as much as I can before I need his help undoing the back of the dress. Peeta doesn't need any help with his tuxedo, there's nothing complicated about it. Lucky, why are guys always so lucky when it comes to clothing?

Once we are undressed and the temperature is right, I step in first, him right behind me. I let him wash off all the hairspray and make-up from my face and head and then do the same to him. Once we are free of anything to do with powder, hair gloss, or lipstick, Peeta surprises me and drops down on his knees in front of me. I look at him quizzically, not sure what he's up to again.

He starts to kiss my abdomen, light gentle kisses, before tracing little circles on it. "You know, I figured that telling everyone you were pregnant would cause a bit of a stir, but I think the hold hands bit really got them riled up."

"That's what we're going to talk about on what could be our last night together? Seriously?" I mock him, tugging at his hair, making him stand up again. He gives me a warm smile before he claims my lips with his. The water's still running over us, but this shower is big enough that we don't lack for space at all.

Pushing me up against the colder tiled wall, Peeta trails his kisses down my neck stopping just above my collarbone. I run my hands over his arms, his strong thick arms that have been protecting me from so much in the last half year. I grab his head and bring it back to mine. "Peeta, I love you more than anything."

Breathlessly, he replies, "I know. I love you too, Katniss."

He puts his hands underneath my thighs and lifts me up so that I can wrap them around his waist. I guide him into my entrance, slipping my hand between to do so, making sure to glide my fingers over his taunt stomach. As soon as he's inside of me, I gasp, it's always the best part; him filling me, completing the puzzle that is me somehow. We kiss, knowing that this will be our last few hours together to be as one, to share these kinds of moments. I feel as though I can't get enough of him, so when he starts pumping up into harder and faster I grab his shoulders, almost bite him from the pressure that is building inside of me. I cry out after he releases himself into me, following with my own seconds after.

It was quick, but hot and I get the feeling that we're not entirely done yet, though we should get some kind of sleep. Peeta slowly sets me down, pulling out of me in the process and I feel a weird emptiness that doesn't always happen when we've made love. He gives me a soft kiss and I gently rub over the spot on his shoulder where it turns out I did bite him. I laugh a little, "Sorry about that. Don't know what happened."

Peeta laughs too, turning around to rinse himself off and moving for me to do the same. "No worries, I didn't feel it at all and I'm pretty sure that there's worse to come in the next few days."

I feel the frown come over my face, but since my back is to him, he doesn't see it. I hear him open the shower door, let himself out, watch him as he wraps a fluffy towel around his waist. I take a minute longer than I have to and then turn off the water. He hands me a towel, brushes his teeth, and as he walks out of the door, drops the towel onto the floor. I knew we weren't done yet.

I smile, trying to brush my teeth and hair quickly, not wanting to be without him for longer than I have to now. He's lying on the bed, arms behind his head, naked as the day he was born, looking up at the ceiling. I turn off the light, but our room is lit up from the chaos that is down among the Capitol people. I walk slowly over to him, watching him as he watches me, a slow, happy smile across his face. Is this what he thought would happen when I told him I loved him all those months ago? Did he picture me this way before he had ever seen me naked, in his bed, in his arms?

I climb onto the bed, just as Peeta rises to a sitting position. He kneels before me again, but we're even this time as he puts his hand in my hair and pulls my face to his. The kisses are softer, kinder in a way, full of only love and tenderness. I let my hands fall down his arms again, to his sides, pulling him a little closer to me. I can feel him against my stomach and weave my hand around his length, giving it a small squeeze. Peeta gasps into my mouth and I take the opportunity to slide my tongue in.

This time around, we are slower, enjoying each other's body as if it were the first time we made love. It's so much sweeter, looking into his eyes and knowing that I love him hopefully as much as he loves me. There's no way to truly know though, is there? Yes, the gorgeous man before has loved me since we were children, but when I fell in love with him, it was after so much had happened and that has to mean something, right? I don't doubt our love is what people of the Capitol would fight for if they knew how. Has anyone known this kind of love? Maybe my parents and that's why my mother fell apart after daddy died, that's the only way to explain it.

I pull my face back, away from Peeta's lips, looking into those beautiful, deep blue eyes. Putting my hands on either side of his face, I tell him, "You know I would do anything for you, right Peeta?"

His eyebrows scrunch together and than apart when he realizes what I'm getting at. "And you know that I won't let you get killed because of me, right?"

"We're never going to agree on it and I don't want to fight about it. Let's just leave it be." I reply. Peeta pushes himself up onto his elbows, looking down into my eyes.

"You brought it up, Katniss." He reminds me, as if I needed to be.

"I know, I just wanted to get it out. Peeta, I love you more than I have ever loved anything or anyone and being with you this last year as it was, I wouldn't trade any of it. Even when we weren't talking, because then we wouldn't have had to make up and I wouldn't have fallen for you the way that I did."

He smiles, leaning himself back down to me. "So what you're saying is that the Games made us become this?"

"Yeah, kind of. But you will always be the boy with the bread to me, Peeta, always." He closes the gap between us and gives me a deep, meaningful kiss. The kind of kiss that leaves you breathless and wanting more at the same time.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N - A very short chapter but I had to do this. I still haven't even fully decided on which way I'm going with this arena as it won't be exactly the same as the book.**

PPOV

The next morning we're woken up by our prep teams. We'll have one last hour together before we're separated and a couple of more to be alone with our stylists. Haymitch actually sits with us, sober and cranky, though I think he's sad too. He finally had not only one, but two Victors and now we're being sent in again to fight for one another.

When our prep teams leave, they are all sobbing quietly and I can tell Katniss isn't comfortable with it. Everyone gets hugs good-bye and Haymitch rides up the elevator with us to hand us over.

"Any words of advice?" I ask him, just like I had the previous year.

"Yeah, stay alive." He says with a crack of a sad smile. "Both of you trust your guts; know who your real enemies are out there."

I don't know what he means by that last bit and Katniss looks confused as well. He slaps me on the back, shakes my hand and actually brings me in for a hug. It doesn't surprise me one bit that he hugs Katniss though, they really are alike.

When the doors open, Portia and Cinna are waiting for us with a group of Peacekeepers.

"Say your good-byes here." One of the white-uniformed people tells us gruffly.

I turn to Katniss and I know she's trying to keep herself from crying just by the look on her face. "I'll see you in there and try to get to you as soon as I can."

She nods her head and comes at me quickly, wrapping her arms around my neck. Whispering into my ear, she says, "I'll see you soon. I love you."

The gruff peacekeeper clears his throat and we separate, heading in different directions. I turn one last time and yell out, "I'll always love you, Katniss Everdeen!"

She turns and smiles, letting a small giggle escape her mouth before a peacekeeper roughly turns me back around. But I already saw what I needed until I see her again in the arena; her smile, the one that she only gives to me.

* * *

Portia tries to get me to eat a little, but I only manage some toast, juice, and a lot of water. I know there's every possibility that I won't have any for awhile. Portia reminds me of what a great job I had done last year at hiding myself near the river and if worse comes to worst; hopefully I'll have some way to camouflage myself and Katniss. She seems hopeful that two Victors can leave the arena again. I don't share my thoughts on how unlikely that is, just smile and nod.

The time comes for her to get me into my wardrobe for the arena. The first layer is just the standard underwear that I already have on, but the second throws me because it's one giant piece. It looks heavy, but when I slide into it, it's actually pretty lightweight, though it seems like rubber. A thin layer of rubber over my underwear.

Portia looks at it, rubbing her fingers over the material. "This seems like something that would be used for water."

"Water? As in I may have to swim?" I watch as she pulls out a pair of pants for me to get into and then a shirt, there is nothing special about them though. Finally there's a belt with little pockets all around it, though they don't open, and a jacket. It's lightweight as well, but I can tell that it would shield wind pretty good. I look at her and she shrugs.

"I don't know the belt seems useless since the pockets don't open, unless there's a trick to them. It could all open up when you're in the arena, triggered by something in there." She guesses as she watches me pull on my boots. They are a little higher than last year, so I keep thinking there will be more forest ground to cover, keep our feet well protected.

A voice comes over a hidden intercom to let us know that there is one minute left. I nod my head and drink some more water. Portia comes up to me, giving me a hug. "You are the best person I have ever had the fortune to meet, Peeta. I wish you well in there, even though I know you'll do everything to protect Katniss and the baby."

I hug her back, "Thanks."

The clear tube opens for me to step into and I get in, just waiting to go up and see what's in store for us. I can hear the countdown and just as it gets to 10, the doors behind Portia open and two Peacekeepers come in. She turns, yelling, but I can't hear her and the last thing I see before my tube is lifted is one of them slapping her hard across the face.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N - Just a small taste of what I have come up with so far. And to the guest who thinks I do too much in unnecessary details, that's how I write, sorry.**

KPOV

As the tube takes me up from watching Cinna get beaten, I can only squint my eyes at the brightness before me. I shield my eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the brightness, trying to see whatever I can. All 59 of us are spread out in a huge circle surrounding the cornucopia at the center. Only it's on a little island, literally as we are standing on pedestals in water. That explains the one piece rubbery suit. I keep looking around; to my left are snow-capped mountains with pine trees trailing down the slopes and at their base. My right, well it looks like a desert of some sort, cacti and dull green bushes and trees with hills of hard-looking sand. I try to turn my head enough behind and see a picturesque beach with giant palm trees just behind it. But I can't see in front of me, as the cornucopia is in the way. It's as if they built a section for all of us, somewhere that each of us is familiar with and it makes it even more terrifying of what could be hidden in there.

The countdown starts to be announced from twenty. I haven't seen Peeta or Gale for that matter, so they must be on the other side. All I can hope is that I can swim fast enough to the center and meet up with him there. I know the seven Victors from District 4 will have the real advantage here, but no one will be expecting me to know how to swim.

As soon as the buzzer sounds, I dive into the water and swim as fast as I possibly can the twenty or so feet to the center. I don't know the name of who's next to me flaying about, splashing water every which way, but I leave them behind quickly enough. I am just about to heave myself up onto the mini-island when I feel a hand grab my arm and look up into sea green eyes. It's Finnick, with Annie behind him, holding a spear. She looks crazy, as if she's going to use it on me, but Finnick calms her down and she focuses on the others making their way to the island.

"Allies, right?" He asks as I make my way to the cornucopia and search for a bow and arrows.

I nod, "What the hell? These are all weapons? There are no real supplies here at all!"

"I know, we already checked. I've taken out two people already and here come another." He explains as I duck and he throws a knife into someone behind me. Annie is screaming but isn't in any immediate danger that I can see. I take aim, watching as some unknown man gets up on the sandy haven. The arrow makes a clean shot straight to his heart and he falls back into the water. I can only think to ask Finnick, "Where's Peeta?!"

"He was not too far from us, on the other side!" He yells as he fights off the alcoholic from District 5. It doesn't take much to kill someone who isn't trying too hard. I run to the other side, greeted by a man named Titus, who has four knives in his hands. I duck just in time, feeling a knife rip through my braid and shoot him straight in the gut with an arrow. I don't think I've ever shot anything so close up and have to push him back so he stumbles into the water as well.

Then I see him, Peeta, looking around himself nervously as he tries to figure out how best to get to me. I should have known he couldn't swim, why didn't I teach him that instead of climbing in trees? I yell over at him, waving my arm, "Peeta! Jump in, the belts are floaters!"

He can't hear me with all the sounds of fighting behind me and I know someone else has joined Finnick in taking down enemies. I'm pretty sure it's not Annie though, as I can still hear her screaming. Finnick runs past me, "I'll get him, keep an eye out here, mommy."

Oh right, I'm supposed to be pregnant with Peeta's baby. I feel as though I'm just shooting at the fake targets in the archery station back in the training station. I don't know everyone's name, but I take out three more that attempt to make it to the island before Finnick comes back with Peeta. I did notice that people have scattered to the four different areas.

Peeta hugs me quickly and then I tell him to pick out his choice weapons since that's all we have here. His eyes go wide, "What? No supplies, water?"

"Nothing like that. I think they meant for us to all just kill each other and get it over with." I admit, having realizing it just then. I finally take a look as to what the other side shows. Fields, green and beige, fields upon fields. It makes me think of Rue and that my theory is right, they made this arena to fit where everyone lives.


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N- Thank you Ms. Collins for such wonderful characters! **

PPOV

"So we're going into the forest, towards those mountains, right?" I ask Katniss, who is looking around the cornucopia.

She shakes her head, her wet braid hitting her cheek, "I don't think that's the best idea, everyone will know that's where we'll go."

"Well, yeah, but we'll have the advantage there too." I point out the obvious. The game makers haven't even provided us with backpacks in order to carry all these weapons, so I tuck two knives into my belt and grab a spear as well. "Has everyone else scattered?"

I look around us; see blood pools in various spots. I have a feeling that Katniss didn't hesitate this time around. Even though I realized too late that the belts are also floating devices, I see a few bodies floating in the water, either they didn't have enough strength to swim very far or were killed by someone else.

"It looks like they made this arena so that everyone would go to where they think they have the advantage, but I think we should go wherever Finnick chooses to go." She says, taking me by surprise. I know that Haymitch really wanted this alliance, so maybe she's acting on that.

Finnick seems slightly surprised too, but hides it quickly. "Alright, well, we'll go to the beach side. We'll have to swim over there though, think you can handle that, Loverboy?"

"Yes, Fishboy, I think I can." I don't mind the nickname, as so many have called me that since I opened up to the whole of Panem that I love Katniss. Finnick just flashes me one of his mega watt smiles and nods.

"Fair enough." We got back to the edge of the water, Annie and Mags behind us. I haven't seen the others from District 4, so I can only guess that they have already gone onto one of the mainland areas or been killed. I also haven't seen Gale and carefully hope that he's not dead yet. I don't know why I care, maybe just because he's from home and I wouldn't really want to see anyone die who is from home. "Okay, I'll go ahead with Peeta here and you ladies follow. I think we cleared a big enough path so we'll make it there safely. Grab any other weapons you think will come in handy."

"Here, Peeta, you take an extra bow and quiver of arrows, that way I have a spare." Katniss tells me as she hands me one that she has found already.

I pick up a small bag that has been kicked to the side and open it. Pulling a pair of what look like goggles, I hold them up, "What do you think these are?"

Katniss and Finnick look up and then Katniss smiles, "I remember those, Rue told me they are for night vision. How many are there?"

I find seven more bags, "Eight."

"Perfect, bring them all. Looks like we can just hang them around our necks." Finnick replies, grabbing two sets. I pass them out. Finnick, Katniss, and I each wear two. "Alright, let's get going. C'mon, Loverboy, hang on to me."

I go to Finnick, giving Katniss what I'm sure is a pathetic look. I don't care for the fact that I have to rely on Finnick of all people to help me get across, but I can't let Katniss do it. He wades into the water and I follow him and then wrap one arm around his shoulders, watching behind me as the three women follow. Mags and Annie look quite comfortable in the water and Katniss doesn't look like she's having any issues.

We're at the shore within two short minutes, the ladies already coming up on shore as we stand up. I reshift the knives and fix the bow and quiver around my back. Katniss comes up to me and puts her hand in mine. She looks at Finnick, "Okay, now what?"

"Go into the jungle. I'll lead, Annie and Mags in the middle, you two bring up the rear, though I think you should be last with your straight shooting and all." Finnick orders. We all easily fall into place and follow him into the very green, very noisy jungle.

The greenery in here is almost too bright, so different from the forest that Katniss showed me, the one we fought in last year. Even though I haven't seen any birds, you can hear them everywhere over our heads. These trees go higher than I would have thought they would. I wonder if Katniss is going to try and climb them. The air is thick with humidity and I wonder if each area is just like what it looks like, different places of Panem set for every Tribute.

"Are we going to going to look for water or food first?" I whisper to Katniss as we stay in as straight as a line that we can on this uneven path. There are roots and fallen trees everywhere.

"If we find food, we'll find water." She answers back quietly. Just then, Finnick holds his hand up for us to stop.

He turns to us, and looking straight at Katniss, points forward and to the side. I try to see what he's seeing, but I know that Katniss has seen it too and all of a sudden, an arrow flies silently through the maze of green and down goes someone. Finnick comes back to us, "Nice shot, I'll go see who it was. I think we'll go a little further in, see if we find any water."

The four of us wait for him, Katniss on edge, keeping an eye out for anyone else. It was surprising enough to see someone else s close to the same path we're on, but they couldn't have been alone. I glance around me, noticing how twitchy Annie is and how Mags is touching the giant leaves on the bushes closet to us. Before I know it, Finnick is back.

"It was the guy from District 1, Titus, I think. There's no way he could have been alone, he was a Career. Katniss, do you think you can climb one of these? Maybe you can see if there's anyone else nearby?" He suggests, looking up the trunk of the nearest one.

Mags mumbles something that I don't understand and Finnick nods. I look at him, then at Katniss for explanation since she has been able to understand the old woman. "She said that the leaves are slippery, but the trunk is easy enough to grip onto."

Katniss hands me her knives and throws her bow over her shoulder. Looking at where to grip first, she rounds the tree, picking her spot and then heaves herself up. I am amazed as I watch the woman that I love climb up a tree like some kind of animal. It's mesmerizing and scary at the same time. I don't know what she sees when she's up there, but I wonder if it's calming being so high up away from the terror that could be down here. This reminds me to look around me, make sure that no one is trying to sneak up on us.

Katniss comes down after a few minutes. Once her feet are back down on the flora covered ground, she readjusts her bow once again so that it's in her hands. "There's a river of some sort if we go to our right. I saw movement heading from the opposite direction going towards it, so someone else has figured out it's there or is just getting lucky."

"Well, then let's get there first and make sure we can get as much water as we can." I say to apparently everyone's surprise. I'm sure that everyone thinks I'm just here to follow Katniss everywhere and do whatever I can do protect her, but I'm not completely useless.

Katniss nods, "Let's go."

Mags mumbles something again and hands Finnick one of the leaves that she pulled from a bush. "And here are our cups." He says as he turns it into a funnel. Mags hands him some vine from the tree nearest her and there we have it.

"Let's get out of here, Finnick." Annie says, her hands shaking around the spear she's holding.

We all line up again, this time Katniss in front since she saw the river and Finnick in the back, guarding us. Out of nowhere, we hear this awful squealing noise and a huge fat pig with tusks comes shooting out of the brush from our left. Without even thinking about it, Katniss sinks an arrow into its side and it goes down two steps later. Finnick heaves the disgusting thing over his shoulders easily and says, "Nice, we've got dinner then."


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N - Sorry it took so long, this one came to me in the middle of the night. All thanks goes straight to Ms. Collins and the wonderful characters she created.**

KPOV

I don't trust it. That thing came at us too easily and someone had to be after it too. I string another bow, taking note that Peeta is watching me carefully. He's seen me hunt; he knows that I'm in that mode right now. Peeta puts his hand up in the air, telling everyone in our group to be quiet. I look to my right and left, being careful of where I step, knowing he's behind me with his spear and probably a knife ready to go. I know Peeta would do anything to protect me, but he needs to be my backup in this situation. It takes all of thirty seconds later to hear the heavy footsteps of someone coming from the direction of the pig. I turn, arrow at the ready to shoot whoever comes through those bushes.

Out comes a man from District 9, whose name I don't remember but I do know that he killed the other tributes by making poisonous darts in his set of Games. He stops the second he sees us, with Tristan from District 6 slamming into his back.

The arrow is already in 9's heart when Tristan is trying to ask him why he's stopped. Finnick is quick to drop the pig, but it's surprisingly Peeta who kills him with a knife in his side. As I look down at their bodies, I can't figure out why neither of them had any weapons with them, they were chasing a huge pig, what did they think they would do with it when they caught it? I look at Peeta, who is visibly shaken and putting down my bow arm, go to him. The canon's boom makes him jump.

"Peeta, are you okay?" I ask him carefully, quietly. His blue eyes are filling with pools of tears, waiting to fall. "Peeta?"

He shakes his head, "I'm fine. It had to be done, I'm fine."

When I go to put a hand on his shoulder, he shakes it off the first time, but not the second and I put my arms around him. "We knew we would have to kill people, Peeta."

He wraps his arms around me, "I know….I just wasn't expecting to do it so quickly this time around for some reason."

Finnick slaps him on the back, the pig up on his shoulders again. "Listen man, we all hate to do it, well, most of us, but we have to. How else are we going to get out of here?"

Mags mumbles something that I don't catch and Annie nods head. I don't catch it and I don't care right now. I know we need to get Peeta away from these bodies first. I unwrap myself from him and take his hand. "C'mon Peeta, let's go find the river and see if we can't cook us up some pig."

He gives me a weak smile and nods his head. "I think you better take the lead again. I'll stay in back though; keep an eye out from there."

"Nah man, stay up front with her. I think that if anyone else heard this pig, they'll either be coming for it or running the other way, knowing someone else killed it." Finnick explains, "Besides, my hands are full and she'll need you as her backup."

Peeta nods, apparently not minding taking directions from Finnick. This is going somewhat well, this alliance. It'll be a shame when it has to end.

The rest of the walk to the river is quiet, no interruptions from animals or humans. Mags does a little mumbling to Annie, but they keep their voices low. Most of the noise comes from everyone's footfalls. I'm the only one walking slowly enough to keep the leaves from crunching too loudly beneath me and no one is bothering to keep suit, though Peeta is trying. I make them stop once more so I can climb up a tree and make sure we are still going in the right direction. For whatever reason, the river seems to have gotten farther away. When I hit the mossy ground again, I tell them,

"It shouldn't have taken us this long to get there; we're going the right way. But the thing is it looks farther out now than it did before."

Annie shakes her head, "They changed it, I know they did, they want us to die out here!"

She practically shrieks the last word and Finnick drops the pig to take hold of her. He has a blood stain from the nasty thing on his shoulder, but it doesn't stop him from consoling her, rubbing her hair back. "Annie, it'll be fine, look how lush this forest is. We'll figure it out."

I take another look at the trees themselves; they are very green and very much healthy looking. I start to dig at the roots, see how deep they go before revealing their source. Peeta kneels down next to me, "You think the river comes this far in, don't you?"

"Maybe not the river, but enough water to make these trees so big. Not much can survive without water, even the desert area has to have a source of some kind. I just don't know how far down we would have to dig in order to find it." I explain to him and all of a sudden, I hear it. Something hit its way down to us. I look up and see the small white parachute with its silver tin hanging from it. Peeta stands up and grabs it, opening it quickly.

He pulls out a metal spout looking thing. Holding it up for everyone to see, he asks, "What is this?"

I take it in my hand, turning it over and over. It seems so familiar, why does it seem so familiar? I've seen it before; I know I have, but when and where? I close my eyes, trying to remember. And then it comes to me but I can't remember the name of it just yet. "We used this to get syrup from the trees!"

"What?" Both Finnick and Peeta ask at the same time.

"My father had these things. You drill a hole into the tree and put this in; the syrup would come out, like water from a faucet. That's what this is! That's what it's used for which means that we can get water from these trees!" Haymitch always knows what to send and when to send them. He would be working with District 4's mentors to get more sponsors for all of us. Wait, we're the only ones we even had mentors, so who would he be working with and does that mean that no one else in these Games will get parachutes? That alone could ensure our survival. "If Haymitch is the only actual mentor out there, who would send you guys anything?"

Finnick looks at me, "Well, our escorts. Every District has them; they stay with us in the apartments regardless. None of us would need mentors since we were all mentors anyway."

"So, Haymitch would be working with all the escorts from the Districts?" I ask. I need to know just how much more advantage we would have.

"He worked with Effie all the time, right?" Finnick asks, as he and Peeta strip off some of the leaves from the nearest tree and find a spot to start drilling. "Why does it matter?"

I shake my head, "Just wondering, because that means we have one more person working for us than everyone else, right?"

Peeta answers this time as Finnick starts to knock a knife with a large rock into the tree, "Yeah, so?"

"Well, that means that we have the advantage, right?" Everyone looks at me, Mags with a toothless smile and Annie with a weird grin on her pretty face.

"You mean we may come out of this better fed?" Peeta questions with a crooked smile. He's probably thinking about how we got the broth and the stew when we were in the cave last year.

I watch them as they work together to get everyone food, "Yes, but that means that when I saw the river, I was right about it seeming farther away the second time. What are they playing at? I mean, are we just going to be stuck in this jungle?"

"No, I think that at some point we will all end up in a different spot than where we started." Annie says in a quiet voice. Everyone stops what they're doing to look at her. I have never heard her say much of anything but she makes sense.

I go to stand in front of her as Finnick continues to make a hole. He whines for a minute, "Is it supposed to take this long?"

"Here, let me do it for awhile." Peeta suggests and Finnick hands him over the knife and rock. "The trunk is pretty thick, this may take some time."

They switch spots and I kneel down in front of Annie and Mags, who have decided to get comfortable on the mossy ground. "Why do you think that?"

She looks at me with her dark green eyes, "Because that's what they do. They always twist something to make it harder, right?"

Annie starts playing with some of the fallen twigs on the ground and I'm pretty sure that's all I'll hear from her on the matter. I stand back up, the guys having made a big enough hole to hold the spile. Mags hands me the makeshift funnel of leaves and I hold it up to the hole. A single drop comes out, so I push the spile in a little more and out comes a steady flow of water. I let Mags try it first and she smacks her lips together. She garbles something out and Finnick laughs.

"She said that it tastes sweet, not like plain water."

"Does it matter? As long as it's drinkable, right?" I ask them. I've never had sugar water, but that's got to be better than salt water. I know you can't drink that without filtering it first. Finnick grabs some more leaves and makes a few more funnels, filling them and passing them out. When I take a sip, the water takes so good. It's like having a liquid dessert, which could be very bad.

"Should we set up here, try and cook this thing?" Peeta questions as he kicks the pig. He drinks more of his water and goes back to the tap to refill.

I nod, as does Annie and Mags. Finnick looks at the sky, "That works. C'mon, Annie, let's see if we can find something to start a fire with. Will you guys clear a space, so it doesn't spread?"

Both Peeta and I nod, quickly kneeling and clearing a nice sized circle. Mags scoots herself closer to us and begins to line the circle with rocks. We will have a good-sized fire to hold the pig and be able to eat within a few hours.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N - Short little teaser for election day.**

PPOV

I'm pretty sure that I'm not supposed to feel this….light. I mean, we ate the pig, not all of it of course, saving some for however much longer we're supposed to walk around this stupid jungle, but I don't feel….right. I'm full, we all ate until we felt like we had almost too much and the water, the water is great, but I was told that water was supposed to make you feel fuller and I don't feel like that anymore. I look over at Katniss and she is smiling at me, but not her usual smile, something is wrong, something…something. Looking over at Annie and Finnick, I quickly shift my eyes to Mags, as the couple has taken to kissing right in front of everyone as if no one is around them. Not only are there the three of us sitting right next to them, but there are who knows how many cameras trained on them.

Mags is sucking on one of the leaves itself, though I can't think of a reason why. I lick it just to see and regret it instantly, taking a gulp of more water. The sweet, sweet water that Haymitch gave us a spile for. I wonder who told him about this thing anyway. He wouldn't have known what it is, right? As far as I knew, he had never gone into the forest like Katniss and her father. He wouldn't have seen them there. Someone else would have explained it to him and that we would need it if the game makers decided to shift the river away from us.

I look to Katniss again and ask, "Do you feel okay?"

She smiles, "I feel great! I haven't felt this good, well…..you know…you were there."

She begins to giggle and I blush. I know exactly what she's talking about but Katniss doesn't giggle very often and this makes her sound carefree and happy, which is nice, but it's not her. When did we start being different? Was it when we starting eating the pig? Was there something in it that is making us act this way? I look down at the water in my funnel. It tastes really good, sweet, like something that I would have made in the bakery. But is water supposed to taste that sweet, ever? Katniss scoots herself a little bit closer to me, ours knees touching.

"What's wrong Peeta?" She asks me, her voice sounder a little more subdued.

I shake my head, "I don't know for sure, but you said you feel great, right?"

She nods her head, "Yeah? Peeta, what's wrong?"

I look down at the funnel again, "I think there's something other than sugar in this water, I think we need to find another source of water."

"What?" She looks down at her own funnel, swirling its contents a bit. "What could be wrong with it? It tastes good, we're not thirsty anymore."

"Yeah, but look at those two," I say pointing to Annie and Finnick, "You really think that they would be making out in front of anyone, especially when they were so careful in training? And you hardly ever giggle, it's weird….just weird."

Katniss looks at the other couple, twisting her head this way and that. She looks back at me, her eyes not quite as bright as they were just a minute ago. "Yeah, they never even kissed in front of us, not even on the cheek or anything. We were constantly touching each other."

I look down at my funnel again, "Do you feel okay enough to climb up another tree, see how far the river is?"

She nods and dumps her water in the dirt. Somehow that action catches Finnick's attention. "What are you doing?! That's good water!"

He stands up and I stand up too, right in front of Katniss. "Something's wrong with it, everyone is acting differently."

Finnick scowls at me, "What are you talking about? It tastes just fine. She just wasted it."

When he makes to take a step forward, I do too; he won't get near her if I can help it. He may be taller, maybe faster, but no one will get near her if I have anything to say about it. Finnick puts his hands up in surrender.

"Calm down, I'm not going to do anything, just explain." He says, sitting back down next to Annie.

"Well, when we were eating, we were fine, but notice how everyone got all super happy and kind of out of it and you two…" I explain, pointing to him and Annie, "When have you ever made out in front of anyone? It just seems weird. I was going to have Katniss climb up again and see if she can figure out how far away that river is. Another source of water can't be a bad thing."

"What if it's salty like what we swam in to get to the separate spaces?" Finnick questions, taking a seat back down by Annie and putting his arm around her shoulders.

I shrug, "I guess we'll find out when we get there. But really, we'll have to move, we can't stay in one place for too long. There's still probably like forty other people out there."

"Well, true, but I think we can rest for a few more hours here. You really want to travel by night?" He asks me simply.

"I don't know; let's just see what Katniss finds first. Baby, why don't you go up now?" I suggest, holding my hand out to help her up.

She gets up and looks at the tree that we've been getting the water from. "It's a shame if all the trees are like this. Do you think it was really Haymitch who would have sent us the spile if he had any clue?"

"Who else would have sent it?" Finnick asks as he stands again, looking at the tree more closely.

Just as Katniss makes to go up into the tree, she turns and says simply, "Well, Snow does hate us."


	40. Chapter 40

**A/N - Sorry it's been so long. The holidays are a busy time for me at work and home. I will update when I can. Thank you to all the faithful readers and thank you Ms. Collins! **

PPOV

I watch as Katniss shimmies her way up the tree like its second nature. I can't believe how easy it is for her when I freaked out being so fifteen feet off the ground. Finnick clears his throat and I look at him, nodding my head, "What?"

"What the hell did you two do that would make Snow drug us through tree water?"

I shake my head, "Remember the berries at the end of our Games? The ones that would have killed us?"

He shrugs, "Yeah, so?"

"Well, he thought of it as a slap in the face. Katniss insists that she did it because she loved me so much and couldn't go back home if I was dead and there was certainly no way I would go back without her. The thing is, we really weren't expecting for them to change the rules, at least I didn't. Maybe Katniss did, she seems to see things that I don't." I explain as my eyes go back up to her. She's at the top now and my stomach tightens around itself. I look back at Finnick, "I would do anything for that woman, anything."

"Including die?" He asks me and Annie a light sound comes from Annie that I realize is a giggle. We both look at her and she looks up at us with big green eyes.

"Of course he would die for her, just like you would me, Finnick." She relates and then goes back to playing with the ground.

Finnick nods his head, "Yeah, I guess we all would do anything for the one we love. Would she die for you?"

I glare at him for a moment, "Do you not remember her going to the feast just to get me the medicine for my leg? She knew she could have gotten killed, she knew the most lethal Tributes were left. She drugged me in order to go, I'd say whether she knew it or not at that point, she loved me. She wouldn't let me just die and be Victor, she's told me that enough times."

Finnick purses his lips, as though that isn't explanation enough. I know she loves me and that's all that matters. Snow believes it now, I think anyway. It doesn't matter though; we know he's not a trustworthy kind of man. We're not even sure of Haymitch sometimes, even though he is one of the smartest drunks I have ever known.

"Listen, all that matters is that she's probably right about Snow. He hates us; granted more her than me, but we're all in this alliance, so we're all stuck with the same crap too. Katniss doesn't give herself enough credit when it comes to seeing things. She always thinks I'm the smart one, but it's just that I'm better at talking to people, relating to them in some way. If I ever thought for a second that Katniss is wrong about something, I'll let her know." I go on for no apparent reason other than to justify my love for her and how I will follow her wherever she goes.

Finnick just nods as Katniss comes back down the tree. She wipes her pants off, leaves and some kind of liquid on her. Looking at the rest of us, she explains, "We're not the only ones who ate today. There is a small group by that river cooking something. It was too small to tell but my guess is fish. They aren't afraid of anyone seeing them out in the open though. And it isn't as far anymore, which makes no sense. I don't know if we got turned around somehow or if it moved, but that river is less than two miles away."

"How could you possibly know that?" Finnick asks shaking his bronze head.

Katniss glares at him, "Who's the one who climbs trees all the time and hunts for survival?"

I step in between them, facing Katniss, putting my hands up on his shoulders. "How long do you think it will take us to get there?"

She shrugs, "An hour at the most, if we keep going. Let's pack up what we can; it'll be dark soon enough."

I nod and turn back to Finnick, "Are you still going to come with us?"

He looks down at Annie and she nods her head and then to Mags, who has stopped chewing on her leaf. She mumbles something to him and he nods at her. "Fine, let's pack up some pig then."

Katniss takes the lead, her bow armed and ready for anything. She walks slowly but surely as if she was in the woods back home hunting. Finnick decided to take up the rear, while I am in the middle of the group, a knife and spear ready. It seems as though everyone has sobered up in the last half hour since we are no longer drinking the water from the trees. Snow could easily poison any water source, I'm sure, but then what fun would it be to watch Tributes kill each other off. Maybe he was hoping that we would go crazy and attack each other, making it all the easier for him.

Katniss only stops once and that's so she can climb up another tree, make sure the river hasn't shifted again. We are on the right track but the sun is going down and I'm starting to get edgy. Terrifying things come out at night in these Games; I don't trust the night unless Katniss and I are in a warm bed together. I never used to be afraid of the dark, but I will easily lay the blame to those damn wolf-mutts from last year. Just as I'm starting to be a little freaked out about the waning light, I notice the space between the trees becoming wider and more light filtering through.

I notice that Katniss slows down even more, taking one…two….three steps, watching whatever may be in front of her. She crouches down, Annie and Mags instantly doing the same as Finnick and I stand still in our spots. Katniss cranes her neck out, looking forward and then to each side and finally up into the trees that will offer no more protection once we take ten steps more. I can smell fish cooking in the air, wood burning. I look to where the smell is and see three people huddled by a fire. They are on the other side of the river, but Katniss could easily launch a few arrows and kill them all.

She comes back to me, standing tall again and whispers, "Its Johanna, Beetee, and Wiress. I don't want to kill them."

Finnick answers before I can, "Then don't. I have nothing against any of them, so let's join them."

She nods and then takes the few steps out in the open, her bow still ready for anything. I quickly join her, as Annie, Mags, and Finnick stay just behind us, visible, but can run back if they need to.

Of course, it's Johanna who notices us first. Her shocked look quickly turns to a wide smile as she yells out, "Bout damn time you all showed up!"


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N - I'll probably keep apologizing until I get back to a regular schedule, but again, bare with me as this month is hectic.**

KPOV

I smile at Johanna's bluntness, surprised that they had been waiting for us.

Finnick yells back, as the river was not as quiet as it looked, "How long have you three been here?!"

Johanna looks behind her, into the trees that remind me of home. I follow her stare and Gale comes walking out, a bow armed with an arrow in his hand and knives tucked into his belt. Johanna looks back at us explaining, "He wanted to make sure we didn't get snuck up on. He's the one who set out a couple of nets so we could eat."

I just nod and look over to Peeta. He seems relieved. Maybe he was hoping Gale would survive the bloodbath that the Cornucopia is too. I look back over at Gale and give him a nod, but he isn't paying attention to us; his gray eyes scanning everything around him.

"Do you know how deep it is? Do we have to swim across or can we walk through it?" Finnick yells over, watching the river flow.

Gale steps up to its edge, "It's been rising a little but when I set the traps a couple of hours ago, it wasn't quite at my waist. If you are going to come over, I'd do it now."

I look over at Peeta again and this time he nods at me, replying, "If it's rising like he says, let's just cross now."

"Yeah, you two go first and we'll follow since we're the stronger swimmers. Just in case it gets too deep." Finnick explains, pointing to Peeta and Mags.

Mags shakes her gray head and mumbles something to Finnick. He smiles and shakes his head, "Alright, get on then."

Finnick bends down a little and Mags climbs onto his back. I walk ahead with Peeta, ready for a swell of water; I don't trust this river. It's only about twenty feet we have to cross, so that's good, but I have a funny feeling in my stomach. Annie is behind us, looking everywhere but where her feet are actually going, though she doesn't seem frightened at all. It must be nice to be in your own world sometimes, I wouldn't know. The stones beneath our feet are smooth and I can see plenty of fish with no care in the world that people are trying to walk past them. I look up a little ways and see one of Gale's nets, and it looks like it needs to be emptied again. He could always make traps better than me.

We're about half way when I hear a scream from in front of me and look ahead to see Johanna jump up, pointing at the river to the left of us. A huge wave is making its way towards us. You don't see waves like this in rivers, oceans yes, rivers no and I know that the game makers have done something unnatural once again. Peeta and I start racing forward, the water receding just a bit and I hear Annie running behind us, Finnick yelling at her to keep going. I look back and he's struggling a little with Mags' extra weight on him, though she can't be more than a hundred pounds wet. Peeta, Annie and I are almost to the edge when Finnick falls, probably slipping on a rock. The wave isn't far from them at all as I watch in horror while he tries to gain his footing. I see Mags lean her head down and give him a kiss on the cheek, confused as to why she's doing this. She pushes herself off of him and shoves him forward, into Gale and Peeta's arms, since they have stepped back into the water. They yank him out just as the wave pummels into Mags and she is carried away.

I have to hold Annie back to keep her from running back into the water, just as Gale and Peeta are doing with Finnick. Both of them are screaming; their tears flowing freely as their mentor disappears. I don't even see her head bob up for air once, it's like she's just gone, vanished like a bubble. I feel the tears stinging my eyes and I don't know if it's for her or watching as Finnick pulls away from the other two men and comes to take Annie into his arms.

He whispers something into her ear that none of us can hear and I turn away to give them privacy. Peeta wraps an arm around my waist, "Are you okay?"

I nod, but I'm shaky. I look back at the water, of course its calm again as if nothing happened a minute ago. I hate them, I hate the way they change things on us as if fighting for our lives wasn't bad enough. Peeta pulls me closer to him as we get closer to the fire that the others have built and we sit down. Johanna looks terrified still, even though the water has quieted down and Beetee and Wiress are staying very quiet.

"I think that happened right before we got here too." Gale's voice breaks the silence. Everyone looks at him and he goes on, "There was a lot of fish when we got here, like too many almost and you can see where the water rose right now?"

I turn to see what he's pointing at and nod, though I know we are probably the only ones who would notice it as we're the only hunters in the group.

He continues, "It would only leave that mark if the water rose and it was like that when we got here. I think that maybe we weren't the first ones who came upon it, just the only ones who didn't cross it."

"Are you shitting me?" Johanna asks, "Are you seriously telling me that if we had tried to cross, they would have sent that flood through?"

He nods his dark head at her, "It's a good thing you didn't want to cross, stop here."

I look over at her and she visibly shivers and mumbles, "I hate water, you have no idea."

I just shake my head at the statement and look at Peeta, who is watching them as well. I rest my head on his shoulder and he puts his hand on my lower back, rubbing it through this suit. I whisper to him, "Do you think Mags did it on purpose?"

"Looked like it. At least she lived a good long life though, right? I mean, how many people in our district can say that?" He reminds me, his lips on my forehead. "We can have a toast to her, right Finnick?"

Finnick looks down at him and nods. "She wouldn't want us to wallow; she was much too spunky for that. Is it safe to drink the water here?"

Gale nods, "Yeah, it's not saltwater or anything. We cleaned up using it and have filled our canteens with it."

"Well, that's good, because the water we found in the trees on our side made us all loopy and stuff." Finnick replies back. He brings Annie over and they take a seat next to us. I look over at her, green eyes swollen and red, but she's calm again. I guess they learned not to stay sad for too long somewhere in these games.

Johanna clears her throat, "The water made you loopy? What the hell does that even mean?"

Peeta answers, still holding me, rubbing my back, "We were sent a spile and Katniss knew how to use it, so we dug it into a tree and the water tasted really good, sweet almost. But I noticed that everyone was being kind of weird after I hadn't had some in awhile. We ate and everything, but that was cooked, while this water was fresh."

"So you don't think it was sponsors who sent it, do you?" Johanna asks, turning over a fish I hadn't noticed on the fire.

Peeta nods, "That's what Katniss thinks and it sounds right. If our mentors knew that the water would be like that, why would they send us a spile?"

She shakes her head and Gale squats down next to her. Looking directly at me, he questions, "So, not only do we have to worry about other Tributes trying to kill us, but we also have to worry about Snow? What the hell?"

"I thought he'd be over the whole berry thing by now! But it's not like this was ever going to be easy." I yell out, trying to redeem myself in some way.

"Katniss, he hates all of us for some reason or another, don't think for a second that it's just about you." Johanna claims.

"Really, what did you do that pissed him off so much? You played the Game like you were supposed to. Pretended you were all weak and everything, then killed people with a damn ax. Why would that piss him off?" I glare at her. I saw her in her Games; she was ruthless once she started killing people. I wouldn't want to be on her bad side.

"Enough that people I loved once are dead because of it." She says and then gets up and walks towards the trees behind her. Gale's eyes follow her, but I notice he is also watching everything around her as well. Always the hunter and apparently now a protector also. I wonder if he is just doing it so that no one notices how his eyes dart to her every few seconds, to see where she's gone to.

I look at Peeta and start to get back up. "I'll go talk to her; she's never mentioned anyone before."

He nods and squeezes my hand, "Don't take too long, I know you to can talk."

I smile down at him and put my bow around my shoulder, heading after her. "When I come back, I want some fish."

He wrinkles his nose at me, shaking his head, "She's always hungry."

Gale looks at me and then Peeta, "Well, don't pregnant women always eat?"

I open my mouth to say something in protest, but Peeta says it first, "But she was always eating before too, that much hasn't changed."

I just shake my head at both of them and walk away. Beetee and Wiress' eyes following me as I follow Johanna.


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N - So, so sorry all. The holidays are really over though and I can start back up on these stories :) I'm taking a turn here for something a bit scary (for me anyway) and hopefully you'll all be okay with it.**

KPOV

I get into the cover of trees, about fifteen feet behind Johanna when I hear it, a loud bang from overhead. We both look to the sky, knowing that someone must have died. I don't remember hearing the cannons going off before, from the others that we killed or after Mags was swept away. But just as I look behind me, Peeta is rising unsteadily to his feet and Gale is running towards us. Finnick and Annie have shocked looks on their faces, as Wiress screams.

"Johanna, we have to go back!" I cry out to her as I gear myself to head back. She reaches me quickly, taking in the sight of Peeta and Gale running towards us. It looks as if they're yelling, but I can't hear anything. I really start to run and then watch as Gale and Peeta both hit something at the same time. I look to the guys, lying on the ground, shaking themselves awake it seems. We keep going towards them but Peeta puts his hands up, stopping us.

He's yelling, I can tell by his mouth and between him and Gale who is also yelling, shaking my head and pointing to my ear. We get closer to them and I am about to put my hand out when Johanna stops me and hands me a branch. "Just in case."

I nod and take it, holding it out in front of me. I walk slowly towards the guys, to whatever they hit and when we're about a foot away from them, the branch hits something. I can't see it of course, but it's solid enough that we won't get through. Then the noise starts. At first it seems like cicadas, lots and lots of them, singing their nightly song of nothing and being obnoxiously loud about it. Johanna kneels down, looking at the bottom of whatever it is that's in front of us. I watch her for a second and then look back at Peeta, seeing the fear in his blue eyes.

He speaks slowly so that I can read his lips, "I'm….sorry…I…can't…be…in...there…with…you…"

I just nod my head, realizing that the noise is getting louder and seemingly closer. I see Johanna cover her ears and she kneels down. She looks at me, than at Gale, nodding to whatever he tries to tell her, lowering himself to look into her eyes. I focus my attention back to Peeta, he'll keep me sane, I hope. Then the bugs' noises turn into horrifying screams. Not screams of bugs, but it's as if they are the screams of people. I turn around, as Peeta's eyes get wider than they already were, and start screaming myself, banging against the clear wall that separates us.

Johanna looks at what I saw and starts to bang against the wall too, screaming right alongside me. I don't know if she's seeing the same thing because she keeps saying, "No, not him, it can't be him, not him!"

I look back and a toddler covered in blood is waddling closer to me. Those screams aren't just from it though, there's no way a toddler could make that much noise and it sounds like there's a thousand babies crying out with it.

I turn my attention back to Peeta, slamming my fists against this barrier and watching as he hits it too from his side, calling out my name. I feel the tears, I know who that toddler is supposed to be, I know that it's supposed to be our child and I'm killing it somehow. I feel like it's getting closer to me, I know the screaming is; it's louder and scarier and I feel as though my knees are going to give out. I slam my whole body against the wall, knowing that it won't do anything and Peeta is on the other side, crying with me. Why are they doing this? Why are they torturing us with something that doesn't exist yet? That we don't know will ever exist at this point?

I finally just curl up into the fetal position and cover my ears, like Johanna already has. I keep my eyes on Peeta, afraid to look the other way in case that baby is closer to me than I think. In case it is right next to me with chubby little blood-covered arms out, waiting and wanting to be picked up and held. Wanting to be taken away from this evil place just like I want to. The screams sound like they are right next to me and I realize that it's Johanna; she's completely lost it and is punching and kicking the wall. I take my hands away from my ears and try to grab a hold of her; I can at least hold her, right? We start rocking back and forth as she calms down, though not before I get kicked in the leg a few times and once in the stomach when she realizes that it's me who's trying to hold her.

I whisper in her ear over and over again, trying to believe it myself, "It's not real, they aren't real. Johanna. It's not them making those noises."

"Make it stop! Make them go away! They're already dead, the dead can't come back, Katniss, they can't!" She screams and somehow, whatever is terrifying her lets me calm down and know that we'll be fine. Because the person or people that she's seeing are already dead and she's right, the dead can't come back; even in the Capitol.

I take a chance and look back, realizing that the screams have stopped, the toddler gone. I take a deep breath and then feel arms coming around me and startle, pushing Johanna away from me to protect myself from whoever is trying to grab me. But when I turn, fist ready to fly, it's Peeta and I collapse into his arms, sobbing hysterically, making no sense whatsoever.

He lifts me up and takes me away from the forest that we were in, not even that far in actually, to the fire. He somehow settles us down, cradling me in his strong arms and rubbing small circles against my back. My tears are subsiding and I look up at into his dark blue eyes. In barely a whisper, I tell him what I saw, "It was ours, Peeta. Our baby, but a toddler really…..covered in…covered in blood…and I couldn't go to it, I couldn't, Peeta."

"I know, Katniss, I know. Its okay, it wasn't real. I'm here, I'm real, you're fine. There's no bloody toddler. Just us." He tells me a low voice. I cry more, just as I think that I'm done, but the tears come out in choking sobs and I don't even try to hide them or stifle them. He tightens his grip around me, holding me so close, trying to protect me from what's burned in my mind already.

I hug him close to me, breathing him in, his scent calming me. Even though he smells of salty water and sweat, there's the scent of Peeta that is all him and I bury my nose into his neck to get more of it. It's helping calm me down and I take deep breaths of it in, wrapping my arms tighter around his neck. "Peeta, we can't separate, not ever again in this place."

I feel him nod and pull back to look him in the eyes. "I won't, Katniss, I promise."

I nod too and then look to the other side of the fire, where Finnick has his arm around Annie's shoulders, Beetee looks utterly confused, Wiress is mumbling something incoherent, and Johanna is sitting in Gale's lap, being comforted by him in much the same way that Peeta is comforting me. He catches my eye and nods, giving me a small smile and I know; I know he's found someone that he can be strong for, someone that may understand him better than I ever did. I put my head back on Peeta's shoulder, falling asleep before anything else can happen.


	43. Chapter 43

**A/N - Again, I'm sorry this is taking longer to get out, but at least it's here. I already have the next chapter forming!**

PPOV

Katniss falls asleep easier than I had thought she would. But with all that's happened today, I guess I'm not too surprised. I saw it too, that toddler. He looked like her with the hair, but I saw his eyes and they were just like mine. How do they do that? We haven't had any children, it's not like they have something to go off of, like with the muttwovles from the first arena, using the tributes' eyes.

I hold her in my arms, hearing her breath even out. My good leg is asleep and I don't mind, unless we have to get up suddenly again. I look at the other six victors with us and all of them seem worn out, ready to sleep. But it's Finnick who offers to take the first watch with Annie. Beetee agrees to go with them, better to have three just in case. I only nod, as I'm not going to leave Katniss here to wake up without me. We've done so well when it comes to not having nightmares when we're together but I wonder if this whole bloody toddler will kick start them up again.

"Did you see whatever Johanna saw?" I ask Gale in a low voice, but loud enough that he can hear me over the fire, as I readjust Katniss and I so that we're lying down in the sand.

He shakes his dark head, "No, but if it was enough to scare her like that, it must have been bad. Did you see something?"

I nod and in a lower voice, one that cracks as it begins, "It was our baby."

His gray eyes go wide and a frown overtakes his otherwise good features. "He hates you that much that he would torture you both like that?"

I just nod again, shifting myself as Katniss cuddles in closer to me. I look down at her, so peaceful right now, but I know the nightmare will wake her up sooner rather than later. I look back up at Gale, "He knows how to break people. I think he used someone that Johanna knew to watch her crumble."

Gale nods slowly and shrugs, "Yeah, I guess. You think that was why I couldn't see it, or whatever, whoever it was? I mean, you and Katniss are together, but me and Jo aren't much, yet anyway. At this rate, we won't be anything."

"I guess. How'd you two come together anyway? I thought she didn't like you." I ask honestly. Johanna is a blunt enough person to let that much be known and she even said it before she met him.

Gale can't help but smirk at what is apparently a funny story. "Oh, she doesn't like me per se, but when we ended up on the same little island and ran into Beetee and Wiress, she figured I'd be better to have around, being a hunter and all. I've already killed three people, though I don't know who they were. But they were coming at us so quick, armed to the teeth, so I figured it didn't matter. She even said that the only ones we needed to worry about were you guys. And you all showed up."

I smile, so she has been part of the alliance the whole time, no doubt. I'm glad we ended up where we ended up, but I'm trying to figure out how Beetee and Wiress will benefit us. Not that I want to hurt them in any way, but I also don't know what they got out of the pile of weapons, what their strengths are. I just nod at Gale again and lay my head down next to the woman in my arms, hoping that I get a little bit of rest before she wakes up screaming.

XXXXXX

I have no idea how long I'd been sleeping before Katniss is thrashing about in my arms. I get a tighter grip on her and start whispering to her, "It's not real; I'm here with you, baby."

Her mouth opens at the same time that her gray eyes snap open wide. Tears are flooding them and she lets them fall, her arms wrapping around my neck in a vice grip almost. Her voice is muffled in my neck, but I can hear her just fine, as I'm sure Gale can since he was woken up as well. "Peeta, it was our baby, our child, that he was hurting. Our child, Peeta!"

I rub her back, "I know, baby, I know. But it wasn't real. We haven't even had the baby yet, remember? You're still pregnant, the baby's safe."

She pulls herself back, hands going to her belly, her flat stomach, shaking her head, "No, no. He's going to kill them, all of them, no matter how well we play."

I sit her up, not wanting to hear her talk like this. Looking into her wide, scared eyes, and putting my hands on her shoulders, I shake her a bit, my voice deepening in hopes that she is listening to me, "No, Katniss, the baby is fine and if I'm sure of one thing, it's that you'll get out of here again. Our _baby_ is fine."

I know that I can't yell at her, that won't help, but she takes a deep breath in and shakily lets it back out, takes my hand in hers and places it on her stomach, "I never wanted one before you, Peeta. I never wanted to have children because I never wanted them to have to suffer the same way I did or you did or be scared and he's going to take that away from us anyway. I finally want this and he's going to take it away."

"Dammit, Katniss, no he's not! We're fine, you were just scared and he's playing off of that, just like he does to everyone he knows he can hurt in some way, any way. You and I and the baby are fine!" I almost forget that there is no real baby yet, but now that I know she wants to have mine, I want it to be real. I have always wanted to have children with her and now she's finally on the same page and this is all such bullshit that Snow is ruining her all over again. "Katniss, we're fine. We'll eat, take over watch and figure out what we're going to do next, alright? No more talk of babies or him taking them, no more, Katniss."

"But…" her voice is wavering.

"No more!" I've very rarely raised my voice at Katniss, but at least she stops, takes another deep breath and nods her head. She gets up, wiping her hands off on her uniform and then holding one out to help me up. I reach up for her and she tugs me up.

We slowly make our way to where Finnick, Annie, and Beetee are sitting. Gale is wide awake now and slides himself away from Johanna. Apparently she is still knocked out from her crying. Wiress is asleep, though fitfully, as she keeps kicking a leg out to nowhere in particular and keeps mumbling, "Tick tock."

I don't know what she could means by it but Beetee gladly gets up when we reach them, settling down near Wiress, but not close enough to get kicked by her. Annie makes her way to Johanna, cuddling up to the slightly smaller woman, bringing her into a tight hug. Johanna doesn't wake up, but she lets herself get wrapped up in the other's arms and keeps sleeping.

Finnick comes up to Gale and I, letting Katniss sit in the spot he was just in. She checks her arrows, fitting the bow with one, always on the ready. He leans into us and says, "It's been quiet, almost too quiet, but I think they're letting us rest a little before they attack us again. At least I hope that's their angle. I mean what the hell? Scaring Katniss and Johanna like that?"

I shake my head, "They're the two strongest women victors in here. I mean no offense to Annie or any other woman, but we all know they aren't as fit as them."

Finnick waves his hand, "Nah, Annie won by sheer luck and by no means should Wiress be here either, but is that what you think they were going for? Knocking the two best women down like that?"

I look at Gale and he just shrugs, knowing that I'm probably right. I look back at the other victor, "Yeah, you think they would have done the same to us? I mean, bloody babies and God knows what Johanna saw."

"It was her little brother. I heard her say something while you two were sleeping." Gale intercedes. I look at him and then over at her, completely comfortable in Annie's arms and it all makes sense. "They would have tried to use our families, I guess. I mean, those are the only people they could have used against me."

I nod again, they could have tried that with me, but it's a hurt Katniss that would have wounded me the most and Snow knows that. But what he doesn't know is that now that he's done this to Katniss, I will do everything and anything it takes to make him suffer for it. No one can use something that isn't here yet, that we both now want and expect to come away scott free. At least I hope he isn't thinking that, because even if I am the sweet talker, even if I am the one that all of Panem will listen to, no one knows how ruthless I will be when it comes to the woman I love.


	44. Chapter 44

**A/N - I know, it's an itty-bitty one, but it'll all make sense, I promise.**

PPOV

I walk around a bit to wake up my leg some more, looking up at the trees that somehow hid a clear wall to keep me from Katniss. Gale grabs some water for all of us and some of the fish that was being cooked earlier when we first got here. Katniss takes it from him without a word and I keep looking at the trees while I munch on the almost rubbery textured fish. There's something odd about the shape of the trees, or maybe there's something in them, I can't tell really. The light has long ago faded, but there's a bright, almost too bright full moon above us giving us plenty of light. I shake my head and sit down next to Katniss.

"So, you said you killed three people already? And we killed three or four on our walk, not to mention the ones that were killed at the cornucopia. They should be doing the announcements soon of the fallen." I direct towards Gale, but it's kind of to myself as well.

And as if on cue, the light shines up in the sky to show us those who have been killed. Many of the faces I recognize as the ones we (Katniss, Finnick, and I) killed, but there are quite a few others. Of course when Mags' face illuminates the sky, we hear a slight cry from the group of people close to the fire. I think it was Annie but don't have to ask as I see Finnick go to her. I'd say that almost half of the Tributes are already dead. I don't know how many from the Cornucopia or from out in this odd wilderness of sorts, but I counted twenty-six faces. I look over at Gale, whose head is hung down after the sky goes dark again. He's never had to kill another human being before and I know it changes you, even if you don't want to admit it. At least he had killed animals before; for all I know, he may not see it as any different, but I'm not about to question him.

"Peeta?" I hear Katniss call out softly and I turn and go to her. I kneel down carefully next to her and she looks up at me, her gray eyes practically silver and tears welled up in them.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" I ask her, sitting close enough to her to take her into my arms again.

She snuggles into them, tucking her head under my chin, and her breath hitches before she answers, "That's half of the people who came here."

I narrow my eyes down at her. I wasn't with her the first night in our first set of games, so I don't know how she reacted then, but this isn't like her to take things so personally or at least let anyone know about it this way. "Yea, but we knew that was going to happen. Katniss, what's wrong?"

She looks back up at me, shaking her head, "I don't know. It's bothering me more this time around. Maybe because I know that they were all fighters of some sort to even be here. Maybe because of what's happening, the water and Mags and I don't know, Peeta, I just feel more this time around."

Gale makes a scoffing noise and we both look up at him curiously. His tone is slightly mocking when he says, "Or maybe it's that baby inside of you, Catnip. Thought that would have been obvious."

I look down at Katniss and she looks up at me, confusion clouding her eyes. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe I wasn't lying when I told everyone she was pregnant. Looking back up at Gale, I reply, "Yeah, that's probably it, hormones out of whack or something."

She shakes her head, "No, no. I'm still so early in this, it can't be that."

There she is, there's my Katniss, the one who can pick up on the hints and lie alongside me. Her eyes seem very clear as she says it and she's looks up at Gale who only shakes his head back at her. Rolling his matching gray eyes, he walks a few feet away and collapses onto the sand, "Whatever. Every time my mom was pregnant, she would get overemotional about everything and anything. I say that's what's causing you to be like this."

Katniss throws a small piece of wood at him and because he wasn't expecting it, it hits him right smack on the side of the forehead. I see the smile on her face when he picks it back up, as if she's daring him to throw it back at her, but he sets it down, glowering at her and then rubbing his head. She turns her attention back to me and whispers, "I don't think I can handle this as well if I'm going to be crying all the time."

I can hear the fear in her voice but also a bit of sarcasm, so I know she's fine once again. The only problem is I don't know if she said for the cameras or because it's real.


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N - Anyone confused yet? Thank you as always to the wonderful Ms. Collins for her characters.**

KPOV

My stomach isn't feeling all that well and before I can say anything or even get up, I turn quickly enough and throw up. Peeta shuffles around, holding my braid behind me, rubbing my back while Gale gets up and runs over to us.

"What the hell? Catnip?!" I hear him over the dull roar in my ears from the vomit rushing up some more.

I try to get up, get away from where we are but I can't before another wave hits me and I throw up again. So much for eating that fish or anything it seems. Once I think it's finally done, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and look at Peeta sheepishly. My voice is raspy and my throat hurts, "Sorry."

He shakes his head, brushing back the few strands that managed to escape my plait. "For what? You're pregnant, it's fine."

What if I really am pregnant? I can't do this, I can't be here. But they sent me in even after Peeta announced it, so they, the Capitol, wouldn't care even if I was. Could I be, even though I have been on the birth control for months now? I just look at Peeta, sure that my eyes are wide and scared and I know; I know that I must be. My hands fly down to my stomach, seemingly flat still, but even if I am, would I even be showing yet anyway? When do women start to show anyways? Who can I ask at this point, who here would know?

"Katniss, here, take some water, rinse your mouth out." Gale says, handing me a container. I notice that everyone is awake now, probably having heard me lose everything. I look at them shyly, embarrassed enough that I threw up in the first place, but even more so now.

I swish the cool water in my mouth before spitting it into the pile of vomit and then start kicking sand on it to cover it. Peeta sees what I'm doing and gets up to kick some over it as well. "Its okay, Katniss, we'll just sit somewhere else."

I nod and get up with his help, walking back towards the fire. Johanna is looking at me with swollen yet watchful eyes. "Baby Mellark finally making its presence known, huh?"

I smile at her and just nod. She would make it seem funny. But that's just one of the reasons why I like her. I sit down near the fire as Beetee hands me something that looks like a cracker. Looking at the older man, I ask, "Where'd this come from?"

"From one of the men that Gale killed, their sponsors must have sent it. It'll make your stomach feel better though." He insists as I look at it. I bite into the crunchy flat square and chew it slowly. It almost instantly makes my churning stomach settle down. I wonder briefly if Beetee had ever married, had children, but then I remember that he hadn't bothered with it. I think Wiress was the closest he ever got to having a relationship with anyone of the opposite sex, that I know of anyway.

Peeta comes to stand next to me, patting my head, running his hands over my hair as if to smooth it down. He squats down oddly, because it can't be easy on his leg. "Are you okay?"

"I think so. I don't feel sick anymore. Is it supposed to be like that? Just comes and leaves just as quickly?" I whisper, but apparently not low enough because Johanna answers instead.

"Isn't your mom a healer or something? Wouldn't she have told you about it or given someone something for morning sickness?"

I look at her, "It's not the morning, why would it be called that?"

She shakes her head, "Dummy, a man probably came up with that one, because from what I've heard, it can hit you at any time. But seriously, didn't your mom help pregnant women?"

"Only if they were really sick. I don't any came to her just because they threw up unless they couldn't stop." I look at Peeta and he smiles warmly at me, making me smile back at him because his smile warms me up in a way I've never understood. I break eye contact with him to look over at Johanna, "I tended to leave whenever sick people came in anyway."

She nods her head and grabs some fish from the fire. I have to turn away from her when she begins to eat, because the sight makes my stomach turn a little. I get back up and Peeta follows me as I get close to the shore of the river. Bending down, I grab a rock from the edge, look at it, and then toss it across, making it hop carefully over the small ripples.

I feel his hand snake around my lower back, where it rests on my hip, squeezing gently. I lay my head on his shoulder, knowing where it is and comforted by the fact that at least he's here with me. I feel him kiss the top of my head and turn my face into his neck, feeling the strong bone of his jaw. I mumble into his skin, "Peeta, it wasn't supposed to happen this way. It wasn't supposed to happen at all."

He can't really nod because of where my head is, but he agrees with me, "I know honey. But we will make the best of it and we will get out of here and raise this baby as best we can."

"What if he takes it from us?" I ask, pulling back so that I can look at Peeta, grabbing the hand at my waist and holding it tightly in mine. "What if he does something so that I lose it while we're here?"

"You're more afraid of Snow getting you while you're in here than of someone else killing you before he can? Are you crazy?" Johanna's voice says from behind us. I turn and look at her and she's just smiling, shaking her head. "You really need to sort out what could happen before he gets that chance. I mean, you know that you're not everyone's sweetheart, right? Pretty sure more people are still in love with Finnick over you."

I shake my head at her and narrow my eyes, "Shut up."

She laughs and she sounds like her normal self, having put what happened earlier behind her. "I'm serious, there could be God knows who trying to find us right now and tear us apart and who knows what kind of specially made mutts they've made for us this time around. You and I saw how they can play with our minds…"

Just then there's a scream and we all turn to it to see Wiress being hauled away by…some huge animal looking thing with a dark coat of fur, but its standing up like a man. I reach over my shoulder and realize that I don't have my bow with me; I left it where we were. I look to the spot and see that I can make it and still shoot whatever it is as Finnick and Beetee are trying to cut it with their spears and sword. Peeta leaves my side and I dart for my bow, while Johanna goes back to the fire, where she left her ax lying.

We are all back into our fighting modes, the guys attacking it head on and I can see that Gale is looking to see if there are more. I just make it to my bow when two more come from somewhere in the trees. I get an arrow in and aim and hit one right in the temple as it makes its way towards the group. Then I'm off to get the first attacker as I see Johanna fling her ax into the second one that had come after its friend. It slices right through its furry head.

I don't even have to kill the initial one because Finnick has used his trident, driving it right into its heart. But I know that can't be it and I'm right as four more come barreling out of the trees. It seems like they are coming from the tops of the trees, but they are so big and those trees don't seem big enough to hold them. I let an arrow soar straight into another's chest, right next to what I'm thinking is its heart and it freezes, turns to look at me, and lets out a blood curdling howl.

I think the fight's just beginning now.


	46. Chapter 46

Using some original content from pages 310-314 of Catching Fire.

PPOV

I don't want to leave Katniss, but watching her with her bow and arrows is mesmerizing. She shoots to kill and doesn't hesitate and I admire her, even though now's not the right time. A few more of the hairy creatures come out of the trees. I knew there was something there, though these seem too big to have been what I saw earlier. Whatever the case, two are headed right towards me and I realize Johanna and Gale are coming to be by my side while Katniss, Finnick, and Beetee are handling the others. Annie is screaming but no use and Wiress is a bloody mess lying on the ground some fifteen feet ahead of us. We at least got them to drop her but can't get close enough to tell if she's still alive.

"You good with that sword?" Gale yells to me as he flings a knife into the chest of whatever it is that's coming to us.

I have two in my hand and just as one gets close, hack off its arm with one while shoving the other into its stomach, not waiting for it to drop before I slice through its head. I answer back, "Good enough it seems."

I don't see him nod, but hear Johanna's laugh and know that I must have impressed someone. While we are busy with our own furry monsters, I catch a glimpse of Katniss, shooting arrow after arrow, effectively killing whatever makes its way out of the jungle in her direction. Finnick and Beetee help each other, one using his signature trident while Beetee has a spear and is using it as best he can. There's no fear in anyone's eyes, just sheer determination to kill these things.

I turn to hush Annie when I hear an altogether different wild scream and it's Katniss' voice with my name attached to it. I flip myself around again, almost loosing my balance and just as I see a fuzzy brown mutt fly at me from who knows where, the skinny morphling woman from District 6 comes in between us just as its teeth sink into her neck. I see an arrow sticking from its back as it falls off of her, its mouth still wide open, blood dripping from its fangs, and a gurgle of a howl escaping its mouth one last time before its lies dead at our feet.

I look to the morphling, whose eyes are clearer today than any time I had seen her before and I know she did it on purpose, traded her life for mine. Katniss comes running next to me, her bow at the ready, but it seems that the creatures have disappeared as suddenly as they came. Even the dead ones are disappearing, but not the blood; the blood is all over the sand. I kneel down, placing my hand over the morphling's wound but she shakes her head and waves her hand at me in slow motion, then points to her cheek. I don't know for sure what she wants, but I use her own blood and draw a picture of a bunch of flowers, roses to be exact, as she takes her final breaths. The cannon booms, shaking me a little from my painting daze. When I'm done, I lift her up and take her to the water, letting her body float out as a hovercraft comes to take her away.

I watch the hovercraft before turning to see what else is happening to the camp we set up. Beetee and Johanna are seeing if Wiress is still alive, but by the looks of it, I don't think she is. Gale is getting as many arrows as he can cleaned in the river a few yards down from me. How he got them before the beasts disappeared, I have no clue nor do I really care. Finnick is calming Annie down, cradling her in his blood stained arms as her silent sobs run their course through her body.

I sit on the beach of sorts, trying not to cry, but not knowing if I can help it when I feel Katniss by my side. She sits next to me, saying nothing, our shoulders barely touching. The sun is coming up quickly, as if those things were awoken by some predawn alarm. It wouldn't surprise me at all; Snow and all his unfair games. Catching us with our guard down. I turn myself to look at Katniss and she turns to me. There's blood smeared across her forehead, much like when we were in the cave last year, but I know she's not hurt this time.

I put my hand on her cheek and she rubs against it, her silver eyes closing just for a second to enjoy the feel I guess. "We're going to get out of here, one way or another. I know it, Katniss; I know we are meant for more than just this."

She looks surprised and her eyes go wide with alarm. "He could send another attack just for you saying that."

"Then let him, I'm not scared of him. He doesn't care who gets killed in the process, not that he ever has. Let him try and kill me while attempting to get to you. Let him try." I know now that she isn't the only one who was meant to be on fire.

The End

**A/N - Thank you all for sticking through this much longer than intended story idea of mine. But don't worry, I have plans for a follow-up. And thank you to Ms. Collins, whose characters have given me so much pleasure. **


	47. Why bonus chapter

**A/N - I hadn't planned on doing this but it came to me suddenly and I knew I had to. This new character will be introduced in the next story. Enjoy!**

"Sir, there has been talk…"

"You think I haven't heard about it? You think I don't know what's going on in _my_ districts? Do you really think I haven't heard the rumblings of what she's trying to do?" Snow snaps at me. I cringe inside, knowing that if I let him see the slightest bit of fear in me that I could very well be thrown into that arena at a moment's notice.

"I just mean, sir, what are we going to do about it?" I ask carefully, slowly. This has never happened in any of the Games since I've lived to watch them.

Yes, I had heard about the old man, Haymitch's, figuring out the force field twenty-five years ago, and yes, I had heard about what happened to his family afterwards, but I don't think he had planned on doing anything but save his own life. Much like the two other Victors from 12. It seemed that the girl only wanted to make sure if only one could go home, then neither would and everyone knew the boy would do anything she said. But did they even have a clue as to what they did? I don't think so, but I would never voice that opinion in front of Snow. I would be stuck in that hideous basement of his. I'd seen it, well heard of it, and I knew that it would be housing a few of these Victors in just a few days if he had his way. Depending on who killed whom.

"'We'? 'We' aren't going to do anything. I will be handling this arena from here on out. And first thing's first; how in the hell did she get pregnant when she was given the medication?" The older man paced the room, something I'd rarely seen and given the moment, would choose not to have to see it again. Then his head shot up and with a wicked gleam, he looked and me and said, "We're going to send in a different kind of mutt, see if that doesn't kill them as it should. I want you to send that mist that was made. It should help pick off a few more of them. No doubt she won't be able to handle it as well because of the baby."

I just nod and reply, "Yes, sir, of course. I'll go down there now to tell Plutarch. Anything else, sir?"

"Yes, send Mr. Abernathy up to see me please. I think it's high time we have a little chat." He answered, sitting back down at his oversized desk, putting his hands together under his chin with a too-big grin on his face.

I nodded again and walked out quickly; trying to figure out how to give Plutarch the message that it was time to free those Victors while making sure Haymitch wasn't killed before then.


End file.
